Community Police & Fire

Gig Harbor Police Blotter: Scammers steal $32,000 from local woman

Editor’s note: The Blotter is written based on information provided by Gig Harbor Police and Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One.

Scammers stole more than $32,000 from a 82-year-old Gig Harbor resident by claiming that she owed money to the IRS.

Scammers targeted the woman for about two weeks, bombarding her with phone calls and text messages. A scammer actually called while a Gig Harbor officer was interviewing the victim, but hung up not long after the officer identified himself.

It could have been worse. A bank flagged another check, for $28,000, as likely fraud when a scammer attempted to deposit it. The victim’s family member managed to cancel other checks she sent to scammers.

The officer referred the victim and her daughter to IRS anti-fraud investigation

Man threatens customers at two businesses

Officers trespassed a 42-year-old Bremerton man, who was apparently experiencing a mental health crisis, from two Gig Harbor businesses on the evening of May 13.

Employees at a gas station and a grocery store on Point Fosdick Drive told police the man was harassing and threatening customers and employees. Witnesses reported the man mumbling that he was going to shoot people.

Officers said it wasn’t clear if his mental health crisis was drug-induced. The man was the subject of several warrants, but none rose to the level where the jail would hold him.

At the request of employees, officers issued a trespass order against the man for the two businesses. The order means officers could arrest him for burglary if he returns to the same stores again.