Lakewood police have released a photograph of a man believed to the husband of a woman suspected of scamming several Hispanic families out of nearly $140,000.

The man went by the name Jose Fernandez when he got a business license to lease storefront space in the 8600 block of South Tacoma Way. However, investigators have now determined that the California identification he presented for the license was false.

Police believe he's the husband/accomplice of "Señora Monica," who claimed she was able to cleanse money of evil. Several families gave her money to cleanse and when they showed up for their final session Sunday at the store Botanica Centro de Consultas, Señora Monica was nowhere to be found.

Lakewood police are now searching for her and her husband. They might be driving a white Chevrolet Suburban with California license plates and a gray Honda Civic-style car. They also are believed to have three boys, ages 3 to 15.

Investigators ask anyone who knows the real identity of "Jose" or "Señora Monica" to contact them at 253-830-5000.

Lakewood police are searching for a woman who promised to cleanse the money of at least seven Hispanic families but stole it instead.

The families were supposed to have their final session with Señora Monica on Sunday night at a small store in the 8600 block of South Tacoma Way, Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said. But she never showed and now the families are out nearly $140,000.

Detectives have discovered much of the information on the business license for the store - Botanica Centro de Consultas - is false. They're working to identify the man who got the license and Señora Monica, Hoffman said.

No arrests have been made.

The victims told Lakewood police they met Señora Monica at the nearby swap meet or heard her advertisements on a Spanish-speaking radio station, Hoffman said. She advertised that she could help with "all your problems."

On her business card, Señora Monica listed her services as: Reads cards, reads palms, performs cleansings, interprets dreams, reunites loved ones, sexual deficiencies, cures nervous disorders, employment problems, alcoholism and drug addiction. "Don't suffer anymore. If you can't have children, call me," the card reads. "Performs spells, counterspells and love spells."

Some victims had Taro card readings with Señora Monica and decided to have her cleanse their money. Some of the sessions occurred with the victims at the store on South Tacoma Way.

The victims had set up a final meeting Sunday night during which they would receive their cleansed money and would pay a gratuity - whatever they felt was appropriate - to Señora Monica, Hoffman said.

"Señora Monica never showed up," Hoffman said.

Investigators have learned a man got a business license and paid cash in June to rent out the storefront on South Tacoma Way. The store also sold candles, incense and other items, Hoffman said.

A closed sign now hangs on the door.

"All the information on the business license has proven to be false," Hoffman said.

Detectives don't have a last name for Señora Monica. She's described as Hispanic, 30 to 40 years old, 5 feet tall and 130 pounds. She has long black hair.

Anyone with information on Señora Monica's identity or whereabouts is asked to call Lakewood police at 253-830-5000.

The man found beaten last month at a Lakewood motel died Monday at a care facility in Cowlitz County.

The 79-year-old man, identified as C.H. Armstrong was sharing a room with 37-year-old Bryan Lee Stetson at the Gloria Motel on South Tacoma Way for several days.

Police and medics were called to the room on June 12 and found Armstrong with bruises around his eyes, arms and torso. His hands were discolored, he had open wounds on his arm and his skin was torn and bleeding. He was hospitalized and went into cardiac arrest.

He had been staying in a Hospice care facility in Cowlitz County, where he had family, Lakewood Police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said.

Stetson was arrested last week in Bakersfield, Calif., and charged with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault. A witness at the motel told police Stetson said he had a fight with Armstrong. The witness went into the room and saw Armstrong unable to get up, and reported what she saw.

The Pierce County Medical Examiner's Office will do an autopsy this week and prosecutors will then decide whether to change the charges against Stetson to homicide, Hoffman said.

Pierce County prosecutors have filed charges against a 27-year-old man after a wild police chase involving a stolen car Tuesday.

Charging documents provide the following information:

A Pierce County sheriff's deputy spotted the stolen vehicle Tuesday and tried to stop it at South 84th and South Hosmer streets. (Court documents don't indicate a time for this chase but we've heard it was at night.) The car previously had been reported stolen at gunpoint to the Yakima County Sheriff's Office.

The vehicle didn't stop for the deputy and its driver made several evasive actions. The vehicle's driver steered into the police vehicle when the deputy tried to perform a PIT maneuver. The deputy avoided the crash.

The driver drove in the north and southbound lanes and nearly hit a pedestrian in the area of South 96th and Hosmer streets.

The driver turned into the Pierce Transit Center, 9403 39th Ave. Court S.W., and crashed through a locked chain-link fence. He got out of the car, climbed a fence and tried to run. A Transit employee grabbed the driver, who took a swing at the employee.

Other employees helped out and the driver was taken to the ground. Officers arrested him a short time later.

The driver, identified as Joe A. Mata, was the subject of a restraining order involving the woman who was in the car. He was prohibited from contacting her and has five prior convictions for violating a no contact/protection order.

Mata told officers he "freaked out" because of the protection order. He claimed he traded the use of the stolen car for drugs.

A detective found a handgun in the stolen vehicle. Mata is a convicted felon and prohibited from owning or possessing a handgun.

Prosecutors have charged Mata with possession of a stolen vehicle, felony elude, first-degree malicious mischief, first-degree felon in possession of a firearm, felony domestic violence court order violation and obstructing.

A man wanted in connection with the kidnap and assault of a 79-year-old man last month in Lakewood has been found.

Prosecutors had charged Bryan Lee Stetson, 37, last month with first-degree kidnapping and first-degree assault. An arrest warrant was issued June 17.

California police officers arrested Stetson earlier this month. Lakewood police had asked them for their help in locating Stetson, who is from California, police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said Friday. A Lakewood police detective went to Bakersfield, Calif., and interviewed Stetson on July 17.

Stetson was escorted back to Pierce County last night by deputies and booked into Pierce County Jail,.
He is expected to make his first court appearances on the charges this afternoon.

Prosecutors have alleged Stetson and the victim had been sharing a room at the Gloria Motel, 10005 South Tacoma Way, in Lakewood for several days. Officers and paramedics were called to the room about 4:30 p.m. June 12.

The victim had bruises around his eyes and on his arms and torso. His hands were discolored, he had open wounds on his arms and his skin was torn and bleeding.

The victim was hospitalized and went into cardiac arrest.

The victim has been unable to tell officers what happened.

A witness told Lakewood police that she'd been sitting outside the motel room, talking to Stetson for several hours. He kept saying he'd had a fight with the victim.

"When she asked Stetson about the fight he told her that it was 'personal,' " court documents state. "She noted what appeared to be blood on Stetson's clothing (coveralls)."

The woman asked if the victim was all right and Stetson said they should go see. They entered the room and the witness saw the victim crawling on the floor, unable to get up.

"He appeared to have been badly beaten," court documents state. "She asked (the victim) if he was OK and he responded, 'I'm trying.' "

The witness left the room and reported what she saw to the motel manager. Meanwhile, Stetson was seen leaving. His car was found the next day in Tacoma and towed away for processing. The motel room also was processed for evidence.

Stetson returned to the motel Saturday and asked to be let into the room to retrieve his identification so he could fly to Alaska. Though he was denied, he got in anyway and took a bag from the room.

From the Lakewood Fire Department:

At approximately 1:20 p.m., Lakewood Fire District 2 responded to a brush fire at 114th Street and Bridgeport Way. Firefighters arrived to find the grass on fire along Bridgeport Way, across the street from Happy Days Casino and Restaurant.

As firefighters were putting the first fire out, witnesses saw a man starting another fire just a few yards away. A Lakewood firefighter then chased the man down and detained him until police arrived. Lakewood Police arrested the man for suspected arson.

Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers is offer a reward after a Lakewood police officer's personal car was spray painted and torched late Wednesday.

The car was parked at the officer's Spanaway home. It was painted with gang graffiti, then set on fire about 10:45 p.m., Lakewood police report. The driveway also was spray painted, according to police.

The officer's personal car is a loss.

The blaze caused heat damage to the officer's patrol car, which was parked next to his personal car. A rain gutter on the house also suffered heat damage.

The officer was inside the house at the time, police reported. No one was injured.

Investigators are looking into what might have motivated the attack. The officer recently had spray painted over gang graffiti in his neighborhood, Lakewood Assistant Police Chief Mike Zaro said. Or the officer's house could have been randomly targeted by someone who spotted a police car.

"With the graffiti left behind, we are definite confident it was gang related," Zaro said.

Before the attack, the officer twice had spotted a suspicious vehicle outside his home and went outside to investigate. Each time, the officer shined a flash light and the car took off. The car came back in 20 minutes intervals, Zaro said.

Twenty minutes after the officer spotted the car a second time, his personal car was on fire.

"They knew somebody was home and they knew it was a police officer's house," Zaro said. "It was pretty brazen."

The suspicious vehicle is described as a late 1980s maroon Buick or Cadillac.

Pierce County sheriff's detectives are investigating the arson. The regional gang officers also are assisting in the case, Zaro said.

Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests and charges filed in the case. Tipsters may remain anonymous. Reach Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged a 35-year-old man in connection with two sexual attacks on teenage boys.

Dwayne Clark was charged with first-degree kidnapping with sexual motivation and third-degree child molestation in connection with the abduction in May 2007 of a 15-year-old boy. Clark was charged with indecent liberties and second-degree assault with a deadly weapon in an attack on an 18-year-old man Wednesday in Lakewood.

In both incidents, Clark is accused of contacting the victims as they walked down the street. It appears neither victim knew Clark, according to court documents.

Charging documents provide the following information:

On May 16, 2007, a 15-year-old boy told Pierce County sheriff's deputies he was walking in a parking lot when he was contacted by a man. The man was standing near a maroon truck.

The man talked to the boy about the Army and work. During the conversation, the man grabbed the teen, shoved him into the passenger side of the truck and took off. The victim told deputies he couldn't get the door open.

As the man drove around the Parkland area, he fondled the victim. He also took photographs of the victim with his cellphone.

"The suspect gave (the victim) a note with his phone number on it and stated they should do this on a regular basis," court documents state.

The man drove to Spanaway Lake Park and got out to use the restroom. The victim was able to get out and took the man's cell phone with him. He fled into the bushes and later went home.

A Pierce County sheriff's detective tracked the cell phone and phone numbers of the boy's attacker. Clark was developed as a possible suspect and the victim picked him out of a photo montage. The day after the incident, Clark reported his cellphone and credit card were stolen at Spanaway Lake Park.

The detective reported he could not locate Clark.

On Wednesday, Clark reportedly was in Lakewood. An 18-year-old man told Lakewood police he was walking home from American Lake when a man pulled up and offered him a ride. The young man accepted and told the driver where to go.

"While en route, (the victim) told the defendant he made a wrong turn," court documents state.

Clark went down a side street, then tried to sexually assault the young man. The victim pushed Clark away and fought off other advances.

Clark pulled out a knife and lunged toward the victim, who was able to get out of the truck and run. Clark tried to chase him but eventually got onto the freeway.

The victim reported the incident to Lakewood police and gave officers a description of the truck and his attacker. While the victim talked to the officer, Clark walked within sight. The victim told the officer the man was the one who attacked him.

Officers found Clark and his truck nearby and arrested him. Clark asked why he was being arrested and reported he was "a hard working citizen and had done nothing wrong." He claimed he was in the area to get a haircut.

Clark is being held in Pierce County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Pierce County prosecutors have charged a 39-year-old man with assault after he threw hot coffee on two convenience store clerks in Lakewood last month.

Richard Lee Myers was charged Thursday with two counts of second-degree assault.

Court documents provide the following information:

Lakewood police were called to the 7-Eleven store in the 7700 block of Custer Road West at 10:10 a.m. June 21. Two clerks told officers that a man entered the store with a used coffee cup.

The patron, later identified as Myers, threw away the used cup, selected a new one and filled it with hot coffee.

"The victims told Myers that he needed to pay full price for the coffee rather than a refill price," charging documents state. "Myers became enraged and threw the hot coffee on (the victims)."

The patron fled in a vehicle.

The victims suffered burns. One had burns to the face; the other to the side of his chest. Paramedics evaluated the injuries at the scene.

The clerks gave police officers the license plate number of the patron's vehicle. Officers also reviewed surveillance video of what happened.

Investigators researched the registered owner of the vehicle, then prepared a photomontage that included a photo of the registered owner. Neither victim could identify anyone in the montage.

"The investigator noted that the registered owner's brother, identified as Myers, was associated with the registered owner in other investigations," charging documents state. "The investigator showed the victims a photo of Myers and both instantly identified Myers as the assailant."

Pierce County prosecutors have filed eluding charges against a 27-year-old man suspected of firing a gun at a gas station, then running from Lakewood police on Friday night.

Isidoro Cardenas-Rauda was charged Monday with driveby shooting and attempting to elude a pursing police vehicle while being armed with a gun.

Court documents give the following information:

Lakewood police were called to a gas station in the 127000 block of Bridgeport Way Southwest just before 10:30 p.m. Friday. Several witnesses reported that a minivan drove into the gas station parking lot. A man, later identified as Cardenas-Rauda, opened the driver's side door, pointed a handgun and fired twice into the ground.

The van then took off. Patrol officers spotted the van in Lakewood and initiated a traffic stop. The van took off at a high rate of speed and "ignored the rules of the road in an effort to avoid capture," court documents state.

The van finally rolled to a stop but not before Cardenas-Rauda got out and tried to run away. He was taken into custody after a short pursuit and struggle.

Officers found a .380-caliber gun on the van's driver's seat and a spent shell casing inside the vehicle.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has put a hold on Cardenas-Rauda because he might be in the country illegally. It also appeared he didn't have a license to carry the firearm.

A Pierce County Superior Court judge has extended the time prosecutors have to decide whether to seek the death penalty against the man charged with fatally shooting a Loomis armored-car guard during a robbery last month.

Judge Susan Serko signed an order Wednesday extending the deadline for the decision until July 31 at the request of Calvin Finley (seen here). Wednesday was the original deadline.

Finley, 34, is charged with aggravated first-degree murder in the June 2 death of Kurt Husted. Husted, 38, died after being shot in the head inside the Lakewood Wal-Mart. Detectives believe Finley was the gunman.

Aggravated first-degree murder is the only charge in Washington punishable by death. Prosecutors put Finley and three of his codefendants on notice last month that the death penalty was a consideration.

In a written motion filed Wednesday, one of Finley's attorneys, Mary Kay High, said his defense team needs more time to prepare a mitigation package to submit to prosecutors.

The package of documents will present evidence and arguments why prosecutors shouldn't seek death for Finley if he is convicted as charged.

"We need more time to gather, evaluate and present the information, so the prosecutor may engage in careful deliberation," High wrote.

Mark Lindquist, the county's chief criminal deputy prosecutor, said he did not oppose the extension. Such extensions are commonplace in death-penalty cases.

A Pierce County man pleaded guilty last week to unsavory acts at a Lakewood bikini barista stand.

According to a prosecutor's affidavit:

Robert Kenneth Price, 49, exposed and manipulated himself in front of three different baristas at the Hot Chick-a-Latte drive-thru a total of 13 times over four days in January.

"On two occasions, he was driven by his wife," the charging documents say. "He also showed one barista a picture of his penis on his cell phone and asked her what she thought about it."

Then, on Jan. 7, after an alleged incident, one of the barista's mothers followed him home and documented his license plate allowing police to catch up with him.

Police said Price admitted to exposing himself "three or four" times, including once when his wife was at the wheel. She also told police she had seen one of his displays.

Price has a history of sex crime convictions in other states, the affidavit says.

Records show he pleaded guilt to two counts of indecent exposure. The charge has a standard sentencing range of 33-43 months; online court records showed he was scheduled to be sentenced in August. Price was being held in the Pierce County jail Tuesday evening.

(Photo: randomduck)