57-year-old Ivan Puyu was arrested for stealing and damaging canal liners, believing they were discarded for use as playground underlayment.

57-year-old Ivan Puyu from Moses Lake was arrested on August 17 for allegedly stealing and damaging two canal liners valued at $3,000 near an irrigation canal breach site. A U.S. Bureau of Reclamation employee observed Puyu cutting the liners and loading them onto his trailer. He claimed he mistakenly believed the liners were discarded, intending to use them as underlayment for his children's playground equipment. Puyu was charged with second-degree theft and second-degree malicious mischief and booked into the Grant County Jail.

August 28, 2024
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