CENTRALIA — Centralia police have arrested an 18-year-old Centralia man in connection with a string of vehicle thefts and burglaries reported last week.

Cole Childress was arrested Saturday after police received a tip he was talking about injuries he sustained in the crash of a stolen vehicle.  Another of the tree vehicles stolen Tuesday morning from the city’s east side was found within sight of Childress’ home.

According to police, the vehicle stolen from Lakewood Drive was later found crashed into a utility pole at Pleasant and Rexford, while the vehicle taken from East Third was found parked in the parking lot of the nearby Lamplight Apartment complex.

It’s believed Childress then took the third vehicle from Melrose Drive. That vehicle was ultimately found in a driveway near Childress’ home.

The three stolen vehicles reportedly had items inside that had been taken in 10 vehicle burglaries from the same neighborhoods that same morning.

In addition to the vehicle thefts and vehicle burglaries, Childress was also arrested for alleged domestic battery to his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend.

He allegedly demanded to see one of the residents of a home on South Hickory and she refused to let him inside he allegedly struck her and tried to push his way into the home.

Childress had just been released from a state juvenile correctional institution on July 14th and was on parole. He remains in the Marion County Jail awaiting the formal filing of charges and setting of bail.