Sumner Police Blotter: Stolen Check, Trespassing

October 31

Stolen Check, Fraud

3:25pm: Officers contacted a man at a residence on the 15000 block of 68th St Ct. E. for a report of mail theft. He said he never received his disability check, which usually comes to his mailbox at the end of the month. When he called around, he learned the check was deposited near Seattle. The check was for over $2,000; L&I advised that they received a forgery claim and that it would take up to six months to get his money back.

The check was deposited at the Bellevue BECU by an 86 year-old man. Police spoke with him and learned that his 19 year-old great grand nephew gave him the check to deposit. He told his relative that the check was from a man who owed him money and that he had signed the check over.

The 19 year-old split his time living between Bellevue and Sumner. Sumner Police had multiple contacts with the young man and knew he had been arrested for either using or possessing other people’s credit cards.

The elderly man told police he was not aware that the check he deposited was stolen. He said he only cashed it because the 19 year-old told him that the man owed him money. He gave all the money to the boy and didn’t keep any of it for himself.

The man who had the stolen check did not know the young man and didn’t owe him any money.

Sumner police advised that the 19 year-old should be arrested for forgery and identity theft, 1st degree. Bellevue police attempted to contact the residence but no one was home. The case has been forwarded for follow-up.

November 1

Shoplifting

3pm: Officers were dispatched to A Picket Fence regarding possible shop lifters in the store.

The owner stated she saw two women enter her store and go to opposite ends of it. She watched one of the women grab miscellaneous items and put them in her pockets. The woman noticed she was being watched and removed the items from her pockets without being asked to, and left the store. She noticed that the other woman had an unknown item under her lunch box, which she was holding in front of her. The business owner recognized the item as a plaque from A Country Store. The owner confronted the woman and she said they weren’t from that store, then the two left in a hurry.

The shop owner knew that A Country Store removes the price tags from items when sold, so she contacted the owner, who said the women came into her store and didn’t buy anything. The plaque was valued at $9.

Police were able to trace an address to the license plate of their vehicle and paid the residence a visit. Both women were there but denied stealing anything in town. The officers said they were looking for a stolen plaque with a price tag still on it. The woman finally admitted that “maybe” she had it, then went into the car and took it out from behind the passenger seat.  The woman said, “it was an accident” and apologized.

The woman was cited for third degree theft and the plaque was returned to A Country Store.

November 2

Possession of Stolen Vehicle

1:33am: Police were dispatched to a home on the 700 block of Chestnut St. for a report of possession of stolen vehicle.

Police arrived and saw the vehicle parked in the driveway.

The homeowner came outside and demanded to know why police were on his property and were looking at his friend’s car. He was advised the car had been stolen. The man said his friend was in the garage – it was opened and police discovered a man and a woman in there.

The suspect had a box cutter sticking out of his pocket. Police took the box cutter from him and asked how he came to have the car. The man said that someone named “Bo” was planning to sell it to him. Dispatch advised that the man had a felony warrant.

He said that on Halloween afternoon, he and his girlfriend went to a party and met Bo, who said he’d sell him the car. The man said he had never met Bo before the party. That day, Bo picked him up and drove him on some errands. He had a key to the car and later left the car with the man at his friend’s house.

The man told police Bo asked for $1800 for the car but agreed to $1000. He said that he knew the deal was “shady” because he was so quick to accept a much lower price.

Police told the man they did not believe his story although the man insisted he was telling the truth. The vehicle was impounded and the man was arrested for his warrants and for possession of a stolen vehicle.

Trespassing

11:27am: Police arrived to the area of 7000 SR 162 for a report of a trespass. It was at a foreclosed home and the inspector came out and found two people living in the garage. The man and woman ran from the inspector, heading west through a field.

Officers conducted an area check and found a woman and man who fit the suspect description. Police asked what they was doing on the property and the man said they were near the garage, but not the home.  He said they spent the night in the garage but got scared when the inspector and police showed up. Both people came pack with a warrant from Tacoma for driving with licenses suspended. The woman had two warrants for her arrest.

The inspector told police there had been people living in a tent in the garage for about a month but this was the first time he ever came across anyone. The residence is unsecure and missing doors and windows. There were not a “no trespassing” sign anywhere on the property.

The inspector said that the Windemere real estate agent knew there were people living on the property and had given them a week to live, but this remained unverified. The agent told police he knew there were people living there but didn’t give them a time frame to leave, as it’s not his property and he has no right to do that, since the home is owned by the bank.

Both were arrested for their warrants and trespassed from the property.