After listening to a pair of unmatching and confusing stories, Mercer Island Police Department (MIPD) officers arrested a male Everett resident for possession of a stolen vehicle on the morning of July 14.

The 33-year-old man was sitting in the stolen Nissan Altima, which was parked at the Jacksons Shell gas station in the 2900 block of 78th Avenue Southeast, when officers contacted him and his 37-year-old girlfriend and Burien resident at 5:30 a.m., according to MIPD Commander Jeff Magnan.

Officers had initially communicated with the man at 3:50 a.m. as they were driving through the park and ride in the 8000 block of North Mercer Way. After spotting him in the Nissan Altima with the driver’s door open, they ran the plate on the vehicle and everything came up clean. Later, officers received word that the vehicle was reported swiped out of Everett and they scoured the area to once again locate the car.

“They then go up and contact two people that are near the car and their stories don’t match,” Magnan said about them fumbling over their words about who the owner was and his location. “And the more they talked, the more they confused their own stories.”

Magnan said that since the officers matched the man they spoke with in the Nissan earlier with the man sitting in the car at Jacksons, “That’s how they tied him to the stolen vehicle.”

The woman was not arrested since officers couldn’t prove she was associated with the theft and she departed the scene in her own vehicle. Part of the couple’s story was that she arrived in her car to pick up her boyfriend.

MIPD detectives are investigating the case and there may be fraud charges filed associated with the incident, Magnan said.

OTHER POLICE NEWS

* A resident in the 2600 block of 77th Avenue Southeast reported that her vehicle was stolen on July 18.

* On the MIPD Facebook page, one resident thanked officers for handling the July 14 incident and asked police to monitor excessive speeding on North Mercer Way. Another poster agreed and added that it’s like a “race track” on West Mercer Way.

* MIPD posted on its Facebook page that people can now call or text 988 from anywhere to reach a trained crisis counselor 24/7 for free, confidential help.

* Last month, Greg Levinson eased into his retirement after serving Island residents for 41 years as a marine support officer, auxiliary firefighter, EMT, school bus driver and marine patrol technician.

“We are deeply grateful for your professionalism and dedication to our community, and we wish you the very best,” MIPD said in a Facebook post.