Puyallup Tribal Police nabbed a man on Friday they believe is behind three snatch-and-run thefts of cash from the Emerald Queen Casino dating back to 2006.

Arnold Edward Williams was charged Tuesday in Pierce County Superior Court with three counts of first-degree theft.

According to court records: A man grabbed money and tickets from Tribal Lottery System runners on Mar. 4, 2006, Oct. 11 2008 and Nov. 11, 2008.

On Feb. 20, security officers spotted Williams, whom they "recognized from previous incidents."

The approached him as he played a slot machine.

"When officers informed the defendant that he was a robbery suspect, the defendant continued to play the slot machine."

Officers said they believed Williams was their man because: 1) he looks the same as the thief on security video, 2) he has the same facial features, 3) he has a widows peak and receding hairline like the thief, 4) they walk the same way and 5) their jackets match.

"Upon viewing the video all of the officers agreed that the suspect in the video was the defendant."

News outlets around the country are starting to trot out a new genre of story -- "As Economy Dips, Shoplifting Rises." The News York Times wrote about the phenomenon saying:

Police departments across the country say that shoplifting arrests are 10 percent to 20 percent higher this year than last. The problem is probably even greater than arrest records indicate since shoplifters are often banned from stores rather than arrested.

I ran a quick check on an internal database we keep of arrests and I'm not seeing any huge jumps. One caveat is that our database goes back to the end of November 2007 -- but from last December through this month, the number of people booked into the Pierce County jail for shoplifting stayed pretty steady, hovering in the mid-40s each month with some minor fluctuations up and down.

The crime statistics published on the Sheriff's Department Web site back up what our booking data shows:

Shoplifting incidents in Tacoma
November 2007: 152
November 2008: 151
2007-to-date: 1503
2008-to-date: 1511
Increase: .5 percent

If you were just to compare December-to-date with last December-to-date in our booking data, shoplifting arrests climbed from 26 to 34. With number that small, the increase of eight bookings is a 30 percent rise.

(Photo: dospaz.)

Pierce County prosecutors on Monday charged three 18-year-old men with three counts each of first-degree malicious mischief for breaking at least 19 windows at Lakewood-area schools last week.

The vandalism occurred Friday night at Custer Elementary, Oakbrook Elementary and Hudtloff Junior High, according to court documents.

The action started about 9:57 p.m. when an alarm at Custer Elementary went off. A responding officer heard some voices on school grounds but was unable to catch the people, the records state.

About 35 minutes later, an alarm at Oakbrook Elementary sounded. Responding officers found a number of windows broken at the school, and a school official said windows also had been broken at Custer.

Then, at 11:28 p.m., an alarm at Hudtloff went off. Responding officers caught two of the men – Michael Raaymakers and Ronald Goodman – and a juvenile boy at the scene. A third man – Jeromy Rogers – ran off but was arrested later, according to court records.

Damage is estimated at more than $4,500.

Raaymakers, Goodman and Rogers all have pleaded not guilty. Lights & Sirens was unable to determine Thursday if the juvenile has been charged in the case.

Raaymakers was being held in the Pierce County Jail on a juvenile probation hold Tuesday.

The other two men were released on their own recognizance.

They're scheduled back in court Dec. 23.

Plywood covered four of the picture windows in the Wells Fargo home mortgage office in Old Town Tacoma on Sunday. Inside a woman with a purple vacuum strapped to her back sucked shards from the carpet.

The vandalism of the storefront at 2215 N. 30th St. appears to be part of a larger social protest rather than a random act of mischief.

Vandals have targeted the San Francisco-based financial services company’s offices and ATMs in several states in opposition to its stake in The GEO Group – a private company that operates prisons including the Northwest Detention Center, a federal immigration lockup on the Tacoma Tideflats.

The News Tribune received an e-mail Saturday, claiming the weekend attack was “done in solidarity with the 13 people recently detained by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement in Shelton, WA and the people recently detained in San Francisco, CA.” It’s not clear if any other local branches were hit, but the e-mail only mentioned one.

“They are blinded by their greed and will allow the most dreadful things to arise in their quest for profit,” the e-mail continued. “... While the bankers count their money, the jailers in the detention center treat the people inside like subhumans.” (The full e-mail is posted after the jump.)

Attempts to reach officials with Wells Fargo and GEO Group’s corporate offices Sunday were not successful. Tacoma police took a phone report on the incident, spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

Wells Fargo owns 8 percent of GEO Group’s stock, making it the third largest shareholder, according to federal Securities and Exchange Commission filings and fatpitch.biz, a Web site that compiles stock ownership information.

Wells Fargo held more than $51 million in GEO Group stock in its Advantage Small Cap Value fund at the end of September, according to the bank's Web site.

In July, a study – released by the International Human Rights Clinic at Seattle University’s law school and the Seattle-based group OneAmerica, With Justice for All – alleged mistreatment at the Tacoma facility ranging from excessive strip searches and overcrowding to a lack of due process, the Associated Press reported.

A spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement called the report “a work of fiction.”

Throughout the summer vandals have smashed windows, spray painted polemics and destroyed cash machines at Wells Fargo branches in California, Oregon and Washington, according to the September/October issue of Earth First!

The article says a branch in Tacoma was hit June 10 and “stop prisons” was spray painted on the wall. An independent media Web site also listed an August attack in Minneapolis.

=> Read more!

Michael Myers of Gene's sent out the following information earlier this weekend:

At about 9:20am this morning one of our drivers was assisting a customer releasing their vehicle from Impound. Our driver entered the office to get some paperwork and the customer came in and told him that someone had jumped into his towtruck and drove off!!! The authorities were notified right away and are searching for the vehicle. The Vehicle is describe as a International 4700 Red in color Lic# A51762Y

This time, it's Olympia:

The City of Olympia is experiencing an increasing amount of copper wire theft. Copper wire has been stolen from street lights, signals, and storage yards. These thefts jeopardize public safety by disabling traffic signals, roadway lighting, information signs, and other transportation systems. Last week alone, there were three separate incidents of copper wire theft in Olympia.

Who pays for these crimes? Drivers and taxpayers are the ones ultimately harmed by these crimes. Unlike private companies or members of the public who are insured by commercial insurance companies, the City of Olympia is self-insured. Hence, taxpayers pay for our losses. Last month alone, approximately $7,000 in damage was reported.
We need your help. Keep your eyes and ears open for any suspicious or odd work zone activities. If you see a wire theft in process, dial 9-1-1.

· Public Works crews and contractors' trucks and equipment are clearly identifiable with logos. The work zones are clearly signed and workers wear reflective clothing and hardhats. Drivers should see a sign telling them a work zone is set up ahead. If you do NOT see a clearly marked vehicle please call 9-1-1.

Citizens can call Public Works at (360) 753-8588, email us at publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us or visit our website at www.olympiawa.gov for more information.

Our man Ian had a little story in today's TNT about a teenager getting busted for spray-painting graffiti on the concrete barriers approaching the Tacoma Narrows bridges.

The Washington State Patrol was kind enough to send along a picture Peninsula Gateway photographer Jacob Adams took of some of the damage the kid is suspected of causing.

Here it is.

The reward in a $500,000 construction vandalism from last month has been upped to $5,000, Crime Stoppers announced today.

Here's Stacey's original story:

Deputies were searching Monday for vandals who carried out a major smash-and-destroy project over the weekend, causing upward of $500,000 damage to heavy-duty construction equipment.

Investigators didn't know the vandals' intent but were looking into whether the construction equipment was intentionally targeted.

"That's a lot of vandalism," Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. "Somebody had to know how to run and start and operate all of these things."

The machinery was parked at a commercial construction site in the 3800 block of 200th Street East in the Frederickson area.

Sometime between noon Saturday and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, vandals rammed the trucks and excavators into each other, smashing the engines. They also used an excavator to dig a hole in an attempt to bury a dump truck. The destruction was discovered by an employee Sunday night and reported to Pierce County sheriff's deputies.

Troyer said the vandals left no spray-painted messages behind. Forensic specialists went to the scene to collect evidence from the damaged machines.

Investigators were looking for anyone who might have heard the destruction over the weekend or who knows who was involved.

Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268

Reward offered

What: Crime Stoppers is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to arrests and charges filed in the vandalism of construction equipment in the Frederickson area.

Call: Tacoma-Pierce County Crime Stoppers at 253-591-5959. Callers may remain anonymous.

This life-imitates-video-game moment comes from an affidavit charging Travis M. Spiry with four counts of second degree assault in connection with a May 25 incident:

On the above date at 2118 hours a Tacoma Police Officer on routine patrol observed tow vehicle approaching at high speed in the area of South Tacoma Way at “M” Street. The officer saw one of the cars (a green Ford Explorer) swerve into and collide with the second (a maroon Plymouth sedan).

Both cars both spun out and stopped. The officer was immediately on scene and detained office the occupants of both cars.

SPIRY was the driver of the Explorer. W was the driver of the Plymouth. X, Y and Z were occupants of the Plymouth.

Y and Z told police that several minutes earlier both cars had been at a gas station at 12th and Sprague. While there SPIRY apparently agreed to sell a video game to X. At some point SPIRY gave X the game, but W drove off without X paying SPIRY.

SPIRY pursued them in his car.

Y told police that SPIRY drove as if he were going to kill them.

SPIRY told police that he was pursuing the W car because they had stolen his video game in order to obtain a license plate number. SPIRY told police that W drove his car into SPIRY’S.

Police were also aware that SPIRY’S Explorer had collided with other vehicles several blocks (apparently prior to the collision observed by the officer) away but failed to stop. A witness from the first collision identified SPIRY as the driver. Police noted that the passenger side of W’s car was significantly damaged.

(Photo courtesy of Marcin Wichary.)

Stacey wrote a comprehensive story a bit ago about the South Sound's battle against the scourge of graffiti.

Apparently, the problem isn't relegated to Tacoma and environs.

The city of Covington Police Department issued a news release today asking for the public's help in cracking down on the problem in the central King County town.

Here's the full version of the release:

Graffiti On The Rise In Covington
We Could Use Your Help!

Over the past several weeks that has been a noticeable increase in graffiti within the City of Covington. Much of this graffiti is simply "tagging", where an individual paints their mark or name to make their presence known. Coinciding with this tagging has also been an increase in gang related tagging activity, particularly in the Timberlane neighborhood, including gang graffiti which resulted in several arrests of known, armed gang members.

Most of these gang members come from outside of Covington, and bring with them the potential for violence and/or property damage. The Covington Police Department is committed to tackling this problem but needs your assistance. You are encouraged to call 911 when you witness any act of vandalism in progress.

If you find graffiti but the act is not in progress, please call the non emergency number of the King County Sheriff's Office, 206/296-3311 with the location and a description of the graffiti and request an officer contact you at the location where the graffiti has been painted. An officer will respond as soon as one is available. This will ensure a timely response by Police to document the incident, and Public Works, to clean the damage if possible.

Auburn Police have arrested two 17-year-old males suspected of shooting a BB gun at vehicles and homes in the south end of Auburn.

Auburn police officers began to receive reports just after midnight on May 1 that windows of vehicles and apartments were being shot out by a BB gun. At least two victims witnessed the suspects shooting out windows of their cars and reported the license plate number and suspect description to the police.

While investigating the incident, officers located and stopped the suspect vehicle in the 1800 block of Dogwood St. The vehicle, a 2006 Kia Spectra, was occupied by two juvenile males, both 17-year-old Auburn residents.

The investigation revealed that the two juveniles were responsible for the vandalism and recovered two BB guns from their vehicle. Officers began checking vehicles and apartments in the 2000-3300 block of Auburn Way South, 18th, 19th 20th, Fir St., Dogwood St and Hemlock St. As of early this morning officers discovered at least 62 vehicles and 4 apartments with damaged windows from the BB guns.

Additional reports of damaged vehicles are currently being received by the police department with the number of victims reaching as high as 90. The total estimate of the damage is $15,000.

Both juveniles have been transferred to the King County Juvenile Detention Center in Seattle where felony charges for vandalism will be considered.

Sometimes T-town deserves that "gritty" label.

Someone with a can of spray paint already has defiled the "artistic wall" running alongside I-5 through the core of Tacoma.

Jonathan Smith of the TNT sports department reported the damage Friday. He says the grafitti is on the east side of I-5 near the 38th Street interchange. Crews have been putting the finishing touches on the wall (seen here in better times) over the last few weeks.

I called Jamie Swift at DOT to get the lowdown Friday afternoon. Here's what Swift had to say in an e-mail:

Our maintenance department operates on a tight budget, so the crews do what they can to keep up with all the graffiti on our structures - as time and funding allows.

Tagging is increasingly a problem in the Tacoma area, on SR 16 and I-5.

The artistic wall is part of the 48th to Pacific project, which is ongoing through the spring. Because this is an ongoing project, the contractor, Kiewit Pacific Co., will handle the clean-up of the wall. I couldn't get a timeline on when the clean-up will occur.

Swift also reports that taggers have hit the new bridge abutments the state constructed recently near the Dome.

Sigh.