Thieves Use Elaborate Plot to Rob Victim & Hold Stuff for Ransom
A group of men used an elaborate plot to rob a woman at a Pasco Circle K that owed them money and force her to pay them back.
The victim and another man had stopped to help a "stranded driver" in a Chrysler 300 by letting them use her cell phone to call for help at the Circle K on Argent Road.
Instead of calling help, the "stranded driver" was calling 54 year old Jay Michael Wayne Ehlers on the phone. Turns out that the victim owes Ehlers money and the ruse was setup so that he could find and contact the victim to force her to pay him back.
Ehlers called the victim back on her phone. She answered, realized who it was, hung up, and then hid in the store. Then Ehlers showed up with the two people that staged the fake broken Chrysler 300 and allegedly forced the victim to give them her phone and keys by threatening her with a gun.
Ehlers and the two other people left the Circle K with the victims keys and phone in a truck. The victim had a spare set of keys hidden in the car and drove from the scene, according to reports.
A witness had called 911 about a fight at the Circle K. The police later found the victim in her car and took their statement. Both Pasco and Kennewick police teamed up, managed to find Ehlers, and arrest him on investigative hold for robbery.
If you were a witness or have any information about this case, please contact the Pasco police at 509-545-3421.