Bellingham woman who stole van with children inside sentenced

PETER JENSEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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A Bellingham woman who helped steal a van with two children inside in March has been sentenced to more than a year in state prison.

Debra R. Montez, 50, pleaded guilty Oct. 28 in Whatcom County Superior Court to theft of a motor vehicle and second-degree assault.

Montez and Chandra S. Dibley, 41, stole the van from the Meridian Cost Cutter parking lot the night of March 17. A 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl were inside the van.

The children's mother, Charity Scheffer, left the van running to go inside the store and return some milk bottles for a deposit. She said she kept the van in sight while inside, but was helpless as she saw Dibley and Montez get inside and drive off.

Scheffer called 911 immediately, and police were soon pursuing the van as Dibley drove it north on Interstate 5 to the U.S.-Canadian border.

Dibley and Montez were arrested after Dibley drove the van into a plastic barrier before the Canadian port of entry. The children were not injured. The women had been drinking before stealing the van, according to Bellingham police.

Judge Ira Uhrig sentenced Montez to 15 months in prison, which is within the standard range set forth by state law for her convictions.

Dibley pleaded guilty in August to second-degree assault, theft of a motor vehicle and eluding a police pursuit. She was sentenced to six years in prison.

Her eluding conviction carried an enhancement that added a year to the sentence because the pursuit put others in the van and on I-5 in danger, according to court records.

Senior Deputy Prosecutor Liz Gallery said the assault charges were for putting the children in danger.

Dibley and Montez were ordered to pay almost $3.500 to Scheffer's insurance company.