Yakima fugitive uses 'dying mother' ruse to get released
YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Yakima police are irked that a man who pleaded guilty to car theft charges was released the same day to see his mother because he said she was dying.
Jacob John Lucey was a fugitive from Nov. 1 when he failed to return to the Yakima County Jail from a 24-hour furlough. Police didn't learn of his release until Tuesday, when they linked him to an armed carjacking over the weekend.
Lucey was recaptured Friday at a Yakima residence.
Capt. Rod Light told the Yakima Herald-Republic the dying mother story was a ruse.
"It's incredibly disturbing. It doesn't appear that anybody did anything to confirm anything. Even if she was terminal and on her deathbed, (Lucey) could have been furloughed to visit, but it should have been leg irons and belly chains with a guard," he said.
The mother, Linda Cook, is not bedridden, Light said.
"She's walking, talking. She's fine," he said.
Cook told the paper she's dying from degenerative arthritis and terminal cancer.
Lucey was at her home for most of the past two weeks and has an alibi for the night of the carjacking, Cook said.
She fears for her son and pleaded with him to turn himself in, she said.
"I'm not saying he's a saint, but he's not as bad as they're making him out to be, either," Cook said.
The U.S. Marshals Service and other federal agents are helping look for Lucey.
Police say Lucey, 29, is dangerous and never should have been released. He spent eight years in prison for a 2002 shooting in Union Gap and had violated parole when he went on a spree of vehicle thefts over the summer.
Yakima County Superior Court Judge Blaine Gibson granted Lucey's furlough request during an Oct. 30 hearing where Lucey pleaded guilty to several car theft charges in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of 43 to 57 months.
Lucey's lawyer, Tim Hall, asked for the furlough, saying Lucey's mother was "in the process of dying" and not expected to survive her son's prison sentence.
Deputy Prosecutor Susie Silverthorn did not agree to the furlough.
No medical evidence or testimony was submitted with the request. Instead, the judge warned the defendant he could face additional charges if he failed to return.
"It also might affect what a judge does at your sentencing. Do you understand that?" Gibson said.
"Yes, sir," Lucey replied.
County Prosecutor Jim Hagarty said that in his experience, prisoners usually honor the terms of their furloughs and return voluntarily on time.
The Lucey case points to the need for a pre-trial unit that can scrutinize requests for bail and release pending trial, he said.
Jacob John Lucey was a fugitive from Nov. 1 when he failed to return to the Yakima County Jail from a 24-hour furlough. Police didn't learn of his release until Tuesday, when they linked him to an armed carjacking over the weekend.
Lucey was recaptured Friday at a Yakima residence.
Capt. Rod Light told the Yakima Herald-Republic the dying mother story was a ruse.
"It's incredibly disturbing. It doesn't appear that anybody did anything to confirm anything. Even if she was terminal and on her deathbed, (Lucey) could have been furloughed to visit, but it should have been leg irons and belly chains with a guard," he said.
The mother, Linda Cook, is not bedridden, Light said.
"She's walking, talking. She's fine," he said.
Cook told the paper she's dying from degenerative arthritis and terminal cancer.
Lucey was at her home for most of the past two weeks and has an alibi for the night of the carjacking, Cook said.
She fears for her son and pleaded with him to turn himself in, she said.
"I'm not saying he's a saint, but he's not as bad as they're making him out to be, either," Cook said.
The U.S. Marshals Service and other federal agents are helping look for Lucey.
Police say Lucey, 29, is dangerous and never should have been released. He spent eight years in prison for a 2002 shooting in Union Gap and had violated parole when he went on a spree of vehicle thefts over the summer.
Yakima County Superior Court Judge Blaine Gibson granted Lucey's furlough request during an Oct. 30 hearing where Lucey pleaded guilty to several car theft charges in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of 43 to 57 months.
Lucey's lawyer, Tim Hall, asked for the furlough, saying Lucey's mother was "in the process of dying" and not expected to survive her son's prison sentence.
Deputy Prosecutor Susie Silverthorn did not agree to the furlough.
No medical evidence or testimony was submitted with the request. Instead, the judge warned the defendant he could face additional charges if he failed to return.
"It also might affect what a judge does at your sentencing. Do you understand that?" Gibson said.
"Yes, sir," Lucey replied.
County Prosecutor Jim Hagarty said that in his experience, prisoners usually honor the terms of their furloughs and return voluntarily on time.
The Lucey case points to the need for a pre-trial unit that can scrutinize requests for bail and release pending trial, he said.
All the church ladies should pray for this poor boy, who turned out to be a good God fearing mother's disappointment.
"I'm not saying he's a saint, but he's not as bad as they're making him out to be, either," Cook said.
C'mon, look at this guy. Why would you not trust him. I would definately take anything he says as true. That tatoo was probably a mistake. He probably meant 999, his mother's favorite number combination. He probably has a heart of gold beneath those high quality, tasteful and may I add, very artisitic tats.
Yeah, because a guy with 666 tattooed on his neck in 5 inch letters would never lie.
This is what happens when you give criminals rights while they are in jail. In case some of you might have forgotten, they are in there for a reason. But the liberal mentailty says we should treat them nicely and respect thier needs. Its just too bad that they didnt respect the law before they found themselves in jail....
The tattoos on his eyes are stu....and... pid. The 666 tats are a brilliant addition to an otherwise boring neckline. This guy is destined for success....Unbelieveable.
It is quite obvious that this miscreant is the product of some secret genetic Gov. experiment gone haywire. Will someone please claim him, take him back to the laboratory and put him back in his cage.
@DrAmerika   Chances are he's the product of himself and his family education.Â
Longest Neck Award
What a whack job. I sure hope someone lost ther job over this.
I really like it when KOMO posts photos of zombies like this one. I usually print them and then take them to the gun range with me and tape them to the targets....so much fun!!!!
I think its Japan where 666 is lucky like our 777, however I would never ever tattoo myself in any numbers. Now other inmates know what to say if they want a get out of jail free card. Maybe they will get the same dumba** to let them out like he or she did this guy.
Not as bad as they make them out to be.. lady has she looked at her son?!? I understand there are hard times for everyone but seriously take some responsibility for your son's behavior... if he looks like this you expect him to get any sort of replicable job?... sheesh... I'm sorry but the tattoos he has would have me hunting for a different non-illegal means for not hiring the guy... he looks like trouble and therefore attracts trouble!
Well the lawyer didn't confirm it so time to put that lawyer in jail too... honestly if they got through law school how could they be so darn lazy... they are too concerned with missing their tee times!
 @Freespeech Since when are lawyers trained to diagnose someone as dying? Is this a new training they go through?Â
 @PackersCougsBravesSounders I always knew you were incapable of comprehensive thought. Â
 @PackersCougsBravesSounders  @Freespeech It's called "verify".
"Lucey's lawyer, Tim Hall, asked for the furlough, saying Lucey's mother was "in the process of dying"
and not expected to survive her son's prison sentence.
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It would seem that this lawyer may be at least to some degree be guilty of aiding and abetting in this
ruse.
The courts may want to question the lawyer some more to see if that was actually the case.
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didn't corporal klinger use this excuse thirty-five years ago?
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Bravo to the idiot who released this creature from custody, Well done idiot!
Wow, I know a mother needs to love her children, but someone with '666' tattooed that largely on his neck IS 'as bad as they make him out to be.'Â Parenting fail.
Looks like he failed 4th grade reading in Twin Falls :http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Fourth-graders-who-flunk-reading-have-faces-marked-179713151.html
Show some journalistic integrity and change "Yakima fugitive uses" to "Incompetent Yakima Police Fall for.:
Â
Thank you.
@wysoumible Yakima County Superior Court Judge Blaine Gibson granted Lucey's furlough request during an Oct. 30 hearing where Lucey pleaded guilty to several car theft charges in exchange for a sentencing recommendation of 43 to 57 months. How about reading before commenting.
I guess when one has a gigantic 666 inked onto his throat and God only knows what inked onto his eyelids, Mom has to lower her fiercely protective mother-in-denial standards and acknowledge that her good boy just might not be a saint as we all had thought all along.Â
This comment has been deleted
 @John E. Wraughton How did I forget the best line? You'd think I was brand new around here. Thanks for the correction!Â
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He was just turning his life around, he was going to... (list of random turning-life-around plans all in future tense, no action taken whatsoever)!
There's the neck tattoo again, dead give away. He even popped for the eyelid treatment. I don't think you'll see this character holding down a 9 to 5 job. On the flipside, shouldn't be too hard to find.Â
The last sentance really gets me. Anyone else find it odd that instead of doing their jobs the first time, they find a reason, yet again, to make another "unit". Adding more costs to a probably already bulging budget. Yeah, let's start a "unit" to make sure people like this don't get out. What a joke.
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The eye lid tats complement the neck tat . Dude that man is suave! He is a real rocket surgeon.
@BocaBob
 "rocket surgeon" If I could have like this ten times I would have. Cracked me up.
Is this the same breed of defense lawyer that is sworn by oath to defend the rights of the accused? Do those rights include fabricating b**llsh*t? Where's the accountabilty for that slimebag, and why doesn't the story explore that angle?????
When  an individual makes poor decisions and becomes a felon,  you give up your rights to ANY priviledges. Period. End of story, regardless if someone is dying. Should've thought about that prior to your life of crime.  The fact that the claim of the mother being on her deathbed wasn't confirmed first hand is even more ludicrous.Â
As the Mutt and Jeff law enforcement of Yakima point fingers...
"Lucey's mother was "in the process of dying" and not expected to survive her son's prison sentence."Â When she is literally "on her deathbed" (be it next month or in 2 years), he can go visit her then dressed in chains & escorted by an officer!
Actually, to be quite literal about it, we are ALL "in the process of dying" so additional verification most certainly should have been done.
 @katiemcc Agreeing with most of this, but I think this POS and his lying mother both forfeited their privileges to the teary deathbed scene, and mom continues to cover for her sweet boy even though she apparently is no longer saying he's a saint?Â
Â
So she's saying that the son she raised isn't quite as sorry and useless a POS as we all think he is; maybe only a 9 on the 1-10 scale, not the 12 we're all voting? Great job, mom, now you're back in contention for Mother of the Year, so glad you came and defended your qualifications.Â
I think the judge in this case should be removed from the bench for making such a poor decision. He should have required evidence that the mother was in fact ill. Also, what kind of lawyer makes such a request without having proof?
 @queenofthenight Maybe the mother was in on this scam also...
I'm irked that the Yakima police didn't check to see if his mother was indeed dying! Idiots.
 @donner Reread the story, please. YPD had nothing to do with his release. It's all on the head of the Judge in this felon's case. The Prosecutor even objected to the Judge's decision.Â
I think his neck says it all. Why the hell they even considered letting him out is beyond me. He's a criminal and he lost his rights when he commited the crime. In some cases, victims don't even get the right that he apparently had.
I take it the mom's parenting style doesn't incorporate him taking a good hard look in the mirror about his life choices.
Â
What's the next lame statement from this mother?"I'm not saying he won't shoot you in the face but it's not like he enjoys killing people..."Tokyo rose of the trailer park.
Hey there, jacob john....You are a scumbag of the lowest order, and I will happily give you my address, so if you are as "tough" as the intent of your image and 666 tattoo on your neck implies, you can show up there and I will do the rest of the world a favor by eliminating you from it. Go ahead, make my day....
""I'm not saying he's a saint, but he's not as bad as they're making him out to be, either," Cook said."
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Yeah... let me get this straight... he's in jail for a felony. Â He says his mother is dying when she's not. Â He's got a huge "666" tattooed on his neck, he's suspected of carjacking. Â He spent 8 years in prison for a shooting...
Â
NO, your kid is as bad as they are saying lady - get a grip with reality. Â
"Lucey's lawyer, Tim Hall, asked for the furlough, saying Lucey's mother was "in the process of dying" and not expected to survive her son's prison sentence."
Â
His lawyer should have been required to provide documented proof before release was granted.
@barkingmad His lawyer should have to face charges for aiding in the escape of a felon.
Note to self, never get tattoos (or at the least never on the neck and eyelids). Scary!Â
 @HallandOates Well, at least stay away from the numbers if you do decide to go in that direction.Â
The guy has tat's on his eyelids.....how much did that have to hurt?
I can understand why they trusted his story......anyone with a big ol' "666" tattoo on his neck has to be an upstanding member of society. *sarcasm* If anything, his mother should be dying of embarrassment for having such a loser son.
Holy shades of "Deliverance" ! This inbred moron is evidence the gene pool in Yakima has gone completely stagnant. Sad, really.
My thoughts exactly!