Puyallup Blotter: ​Store Worker Punched, Man Naked In Parking Lot

PUYALLUP, WA — Police in Puyallup this week responded to a number of calls and incidents including people shoplifting and loitering, others driving under the influence and and some acting altogether strange.

Here's what went down this week:

A man in the 1700 block of West Pioneer punched a female store employee in the face because he was mad about the cost of orange juice. He was booked.

At the Walmart at 310 31st Avenue SE, a man tried to steal merchandise. When police detained him, he said he had a gun so officers would let go of him. He also stated he was concerned police would steal his gold and silver. Officers found only rocks containing pyrite and metal that was not silver in his pockets. He was booked at Puyallup Jail.

One day around 2 a.m. in the 1100 block of N. Meridian, a woman was seen looking in the windows of employees' cars. Police said she was confrontational with police and refused to leave. Officers left to handle another call then returned to find her still there, yelling and swearing. The woman was arrested.

Multiple people told police they had seen a man asleep in the drive-thru line of a Jack in The Box restaurant. When he was awakened and drove away from the restaurant, he was pulled over and arrested after failing a field sobriety test.

A woman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in the 2000 block of 7th Avenue SE after drifting off the road and striking a parked car.

In the 2100 block of North Meridian, a naked man under the influence of an unknown substance had assaulted two women by unwanted touching. He was taken to Puyallup City Jail.

A man was involuntarily committed after being seen running in traffic in his underwear in the 100 block of East Stewart. Police said the man stole bread from 7-Eleven, jumped into a car at a stop light, got out of that car and ran onto the railroad tracks before being arrested. The man is said to have mental health issues and use methamphetamine.

A 33-year-old man was arrested in the 120 block of West Stewart Avenue after being seen talking to himself and refusing to leave the property while armed with a stick. Police said he fled from officers when asked to leave and was later found in a McDonald's restaurant, where he was arrested on a warrant. The man was booked and released, then he returned to the 7-Eleven where he was again arrested for trespassing.

While an officer handled the man accused of trespassing at a 7-Eleven store, another officer inside the store noticed a woman acting suspicious. The woman was found to be shoplifting and was arrested on a DOC felony warrant.

A woman's car was stolen from in the 2700 block of 37th Avenue SE. About the incident, police said: "The bad news is she did not lock her doors and her vehicle was prowled. The good news is that suspects only stole a granola bar that was 'expired' and likely tasted terrible."

A man at the same 7-Eleven mentioned above was arrested on an outstanding trespassing warrant. He was found to be in possession of burned spoons, a Suboxone tab and loaded needles containing blood and drugs.

Two people were arrested and a dog was removed by animal control after two people were seen passed out in a vehicle in the 700 block of River Road. They were both booked on warrants after officers noticed drug paraphernalia in plain view.

Police are investigating the death of a 64-year-old man found unresponsive outside of a gas station at 4302 South Meridian. Responders tried giving the man CPR but it was unsuccessful. Police said criminal activity is not suspected in the death.

Police said a woman who was trespassing in violation of an order was wanted on a warrant when she was seen in the 400 block of 5th Street NE. When an officer tried to arrest the woman, she fled on foot and resisted arrest violently. The woman defecated during the arrest, causing bio-waste exposure for herself and resisting officers. She was taken to jail and booked.

A woman was arrested for driving under the influence and other charges in the 1500 block of South Meridian after an officer noticed she was driving at night without headlights. Police said the woman refused to exit the vehicle and grabbed the officer's arm when he reached inside the car to unlock the door. She was found to smell of alcohol and had urinated in her car, police said. She was combative and kicked the plexiglas divider in the officer's squad car on the way to jail.