All suspects in the police blotter are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
VEHICLE PROWL: At 2:54 a.m. Aug. 29, two officers responded to 208th Avenue East to search for a reported vehicle prowler. The victim of the prowler told dispatch she had seen him flee the area, running eastbound toward Church Lake Drive. When approaching the area, an officer observed a car charger and a clear plastic container full of change on the east side of Church Lake Drive, in front of a residence. He returned the items to the victim and her husband, and inquired further about what she had seen. The woman said she was sleeping when she heard a loud crash come from outside. She looked out her bedroom window and saw a man laying across the driver-side window frame of their SUV. She yelled at the man to get out of her car, and the man yelled back before proceeding to go through the vehicle. The woman woke up her husband, who chased the man down the street. The couple’s second car had also been compromised; both cars had their driver-side windows smashed by large rocks. Numerous items were stolen, including a garage door opener. Meanwhile, the second police officer located another prowl victim elsewhere on the street. When the two officers convened to share their information, the second officer recalled a man matching the suspect’s description who was known to live in the residence where the car charger and change were found. It remained unknown if the resident was a suspect at the time of the report, as the officer awaited leads and victims’ theft inventory reports.
SHOPLIFTING: At 2:47 p.m. Aug. 30, an officer was called to a shoplifter in custody at Walmart. Walmart’s loss prevention officer told the officer he began observing a female suspect in the women’s clothing department a half-hour earlier. She selected several clothing items, placed them in her shopping cart, then left the cart behind as she walked toward the front of the store. She picked up a reusable shopping bag and returned to her cart. She pushed the cart to the chemicals section, placed some of the clothes in the bag, then repeated the process in the frozen foods department. The suspect then walked past all open registers toward the front of the store. Two loss prevention officers met her there and brought her into custody without incident. The police officer placed the woman under arrest and released her at the scene with a criminal citation and court date. The stolen items were women’s socks, panties, shirts, sandles, panty liners, cigarettes and dish soap.
FRAUD: At 4:30 p.m. Aug. 30, a citizen reported the theft of his debit card by his grandson. The man checked his wallet earlier in the afternoon and found the card missing. When he checked with his bank, he discovered more than $1,000 in unauthorized withdrawals. His grandson was caught on camera making some of the transactions. The man was able to provide police with bank records and security photos. Another relative of the man contacted the investigating officer to report her own active case against the suspect, in which he allegedly stole more than $25,000 in property and merchandise. On Sept. 1, the suspect turned himself in. After being advised of his rights, he confessed to taking his grandfather’s debit card from his wallet and successfully guessed the PIN. He told the officer he had a serious gambling problem; the stolen money financed his habit. The suspect was transported to Pierce County Jail, where he was booked on one count of forgery, one count of possession of a stolen access device, and theft in the second degree.
SMASH-UP: At 2:40 p.m. Aug. 31, a 67th Street Court East resident reported a man had smashed a car window and fled on foot. The reporting party told police she and the suspect live together and have two children. She asked the suspect to watch their infant son for a while so she could visit with her sister, and he became irate and called her vulgar names. The sister left and their argument escalated to the point that the suspect began to leave and said he was going to smash the windows of the car; the reporting party said she would call the police if he did. He picked something up from the yard and threw it through her driver-side window. Police found a pipe wrench in the victim car. The suspect could not be found at the scene, but the case was forwarded to the prosecutor.
POORLY EXECUTED THEFT: Sometime before 1:40 a.m. Sept. 4, three Safeway employees witnessed a young woman in a black sweatshirt and grey sweatpants enter the store. A few minutes later, she exited holding a bottle of clear liquor. An employee ordered her to come back with the merchandise, and she took off running to the parking lot, where the employee noted the details of the car she entered. An officer was dispatched to search for the vehicle, a dark gray Ford Explorer, and the suspect. Dispatch matched the license plate number to registration at a 187th Avenue East address. En route, the officer happened upon the car on Locust Avenue and initiated a stop. The car contained the registered male owner and three female passengers, one of whom matched the description of the suspect. She was read her Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with the officer about the investigation. She confirmed they were at Safeway, but denied taking alcohol. Meanwhile, one of the other passengers surrendered the bottle to another officer questioning her on the opposite side of the car. The officers contacted a colleague taking the theft report at Safeway, and he was able to confirm the brand of vodka stolen. The suspect was taken into custody and booked on a theft charge. A Safeway employee agreed to have his manager forward a copy of the store’s surveillance footage.
