Pierce County Sheriff's Report (August 23, 2002)

 compiled by Penny Chambers

    Possession Of Stolen Property – Aug. 17: At 7:40 a.m. a sheriff’s deputy responded to an audible alarm at a residence on 253^rd Street Court East in Graham. The female resident of the home had met a woman the night before claiming to be from Vancouver, WA. who said she had come to the area to appear at a court hearing regarding her sons and had nowhere to sleep.

    The resident set her home security alarm before going to bed just in case the woman tried leaving during the middle of the night.  Upon the deputy’s arrival, the Vancouver woman told him she had seen a man on the street she wanted to contact, thus setting off the alarm. She also told the deputy she was going to court to try to prevent her SSI (Social Security Insurance) and other government benefits from being stopped.

    He asked her name, birthday and social security number then went to his patrol car and ran a check. He found that she had an outstanding arrest warrant in Clark County and a Missing Person Hit showed from Pierce County. The Missing Person Hit listed Western State Hospital as the agency reporting her missing.

    The deputy called the hospital and was told she had walked away from their facility the day before, the hospital further told him the woman was there on a 180 hold by order of the Clark County Court. He then went back into the house and told the woman she was under arrest. She refused to cooperate, putting up passive resistance and telling the deputy that if he touched her she would kill him.

    The deputy was forced to use a “hair hold” and “arm bar” technique in order to handcuff the woman. He placed her in his patrol car and went back into the home to talk to the resident and look through the Vancouver woman’s personal belongings. The resident gave him a cell phone, which the woman had in her possession and said that she also had credit cards.

    A second deputy, who had arrived at the scene to transport the woman, searched her pockets finding a US Bank debit card, a dental insurance card and a Tacoma Public Library card all under the same name, but not matching that of the Vancouver woman. She said that the cards belonged to her sister, but when asked her sister’s name, she gave one that didn’t match what was on the cards.

    On the cell phone the deputy was able to locate the phone’s “home” phone number. Calling that number, the Tacoma woman whose name appeared on the cards answered, informing the deputy that her purse had been stolen from her car while parked at Fort Steilacoom Park. The Vancouver woman was then taken to Pierce County Jail.

    Destruction/Damage/Vandalism Of Property – Aug. 17: Unknown person(s) painted a phrase “Guke=X” on the garage door of a home on 49^th Avenue Court East in Graham. The resident’s pickup truck was also spray painted down it’s side. The owner of the truck said his wife is Korean and that she and one other are the only two Asians in the neighborhood. He also stated that he had no idea who would do such a thing. There were no witnesses to the crime.

    Assault (Simple) – Aug. 17: A horse stable owner from 224^th Street East in Graham called sheriff’s deputies to report an Eatonville woman had assaulted her. The woman from Eatonville had brought her horse to the stable thirty days prior, in “not the best physical shape,” asking the stable owner to find the horse a suitable home, at no cost to the horse owner.

    The horse was taken in and the stable owner found a suitable person to care for it while lodged there, and who also paid all of the vet bills incurred. At the end of the thirty days, the length of time the Eatonville woman claims she agreed to use the stable, she returned for her horse. The stable owner said that she had found a person to care for the horse and tried to prevent the Eatonville woman from taking it.

    The stable owner claimed the Eatonville woman pushed her, tried to punch her and that a man who was driving the truck and horse trailer tried to hit her when leaving her driveway. The Eatonville woman states that the stable owner is trying to “steal” her horse, and that she did indeed push the woman away, but never tried to punch her.

    The Eatonville woman further stated that she and the man assisting her did not try to run the stable owner over, but the owner wouldn’t move and tried blocking their truck with her body by standing in its way. Both women have claimed charges against each other, and the case has been forward to the Pierce County Prosecutor for review.

    Fraud/Possession Of Stolen Property – Aug. 17: A female resident of Silver Lake Road East in Eatonville, who had advertised a computer for sale in the paper, became the victim of fraud and theft. A 33-year-old white male driving an older, red Chevy Nova, went to the woman’s home to look at the computer, decided to buy it and loaded it into his car while the woman was searching for a disk she thought he would need for it.

    The woman asked the man to write down his name, address and social security number in order to file an ownership change with the computer’s manufacturer. In payment he gave her a check with a woman’s name and address from Mercer Island printed on it. The Eatonville woman said she would rather have cash, but the man assured her the check was okay, that his mother had given it to him as a birthday present.

    After the man left her home the woman realized the name the man used when first getting out of his car and the name he had given in writing were different. The resourceful woman then dialed *69 on her phone and got the number the man had called her from initially to ask about the computer. She was able to provide to sheriff’s deputies with the number.

    Upon calling the number the man’s mother answered and gave deputies his true name. It was then verified the man had two local outstanding arrest warrants and that a theft had been reported on May 7^th of this year, at the home on Mercer Island.

    Vehicle Theft/Possession Of Stolen Property – Aug. 18: A sheriff’s deputy was flagged down by two men in the 25500 block of 35^th Avenue East, claiming a man in a green Mercury Cougar and another white male, aged 23, with shaved head, had just stolen a dark blue 1977 Chevy pickup truck.

    Several hours later deputies were dispatched to 126^th Avenue East where a victim had attempted to chase his stolen brown 1998 Chevy pickup, which was being driven by a white male with a shaved head, who was followed by a green Mercury Cougar. Later that day deputies spotted a green Mercury Cougar parked at the Handy Stop on 304^th and Meridian in Graham.

    The deputy pulled in behind the Cougar, putting on his emergency overhead lights. He placed the driver of the Cougar, a male from Graham, in the rear of the patrol vehicle, advised him of his rights and told him he was being legally detained. The driver of the Cougar admitted he had seen his “friend” driving a dark blue pickup truck and later a newer brown pickup, but denied having any involvement himself.  

    The deputy had found a stolen Clarion car stereo/CD player on the floor of the Cougar, which the driver claimed he knew was stolen, but purchased for a small amount of money, from his “friend”. The deputy asked him about a gold colored wristwatch he was wearing, the Graham male said that his “friend” had given it to him earlier that day.

    The man driving the Cougar told the deputy his “friend” had also stolen a red Honda car and where it could be found, at a home near Eatonville, on 94^th Avenue East. Deputies located the stolen Honda and booked the car stereo and wristwatch into evidence. The driver of the Cougar was arrested on two counts of Vehicle Theft and Possession of Stolen Property in the third degree (as he had known the stereo was stolen when he purchased it) and was transported to Pierce County Jail.

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."
~Plato