Rantz Exclusive: Auburn City Council member’s car stolen at City Hall during meeting

Roughly 30 minutes before an Auburn City Council meeting at which council member Cheryl Rakes was voted deputy mayor, her car was stolen. The Auburn Police Department (APD) believes the suspects are four juveniles.

On Monday night, Rakes was elected the next deputy mayor for the city. But a source told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH the scene before the meeting turned “chaotic” when Rakes learned her vehicle had been stolen from outside Auburn City Hall.

An APD spokesperson confirmed to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH that officers were able to track the car using city Flock cameras, ultimately finding it abandoned at an apartment complex roughly two miles away. Four juvenile suspects were seen on video. Although Auburn Police spotted them, they were unable to make a stop. When police found the car, the suspects had fled.

A spokesman for the city of Auburn emailed a statement credited to Rakes to KTTH late Tuesday morning confirming the theft of the car, a 2016 Kia Soul. She went into the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday and came out an hour later and the car was gone, the statement reads.

Rakes joined “The Jason Rantz Show” Tuesday to discuss the events.

“I went out to my car about 6:30 to grab a couple of things and noticed my car was gone,” she shared.

Rakes worked with the APD after the meeting to find the Kia. Using their Flock safety cameras, they quickly tracked the car to Kent and back to Auburn, where it was safely recovered, Rakes’ statement reads. She added the ignition column was damaged and some items inside were stolen. 

In addition, the car’s windows were damaged, the APD told KTTH.

The deputy mayor added she’s “incredibly grateful” to the APD and its officers for their work in recovering the vehicle.

Rantz asked if Rakes felt as if she were targeted because of her council status, or perhaps simply because she has a Kia.

“No, I don’t feel like I was targeted,” Rakes replied. “I think it was because it was the Kia.”

Rakes added she is a strong supporter of police. She previously told the Auburn Reporter she hopes to “uphold our police department and give them tools they need to do the job.” That includes more funding to hire police officers.

This story will be updated as new details become available.

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