By Shawn Henry 
A King County deputy’s decision to double back on a set of muddy tire tracks led to the recovery of several stolen vehicles hidden deep in a wooded area near Maple Valley. Officials said the discovery was made earlier this month after the deputy spotted the tracks veering up a hillside from the Maple Valley Highway east of Renton.
The deputy, sensing something was off, returned to the location and climbed the muddy slope. Once at the top, he found an unauthorized encampment concealed among the trees. Scattered throughout the site were eight vehicles, partially obscured by brush and positioned as if they had been stashed there over time.
According to the King County Sheriff’s Office, six of the vehicles were confirmed stolen. The remaining two cars have not yet been verified, but investigators said it’s possible they were also taken from their owners. Authorities are still working to determine how long the vehicles had been hidden in the area.
Deputies noted that the wooded terrain in southeast King County often provides cover for illegal activity, including dumping stolen property. The secluded nature of the hillside made the encampment easy to miss from the road, underscoring how the vehicles could have remained undiscovered for an extended period.
No individuals were found at the encampment when deputies searched the site, and no arrests have been made. The camp has since been cleared, and the stolen cars identified so far have been returned to their owners.
Sheriff’s officials credited the deputy’s attentiveness for uncovering the hidden stash and recovering property that might otherwise have remained lost. The investigation into the origins of the encampment and the thefts remains active as detectives work to identify those responsible.