Stories for Crime
Letter: Lakewood Officers' Charity response to embezzlement
Posted by | CommentsJohn Unfred, Treasurer, Lakewood Officers' Charity
The Lakewood Officers’ Charity was shocked and outraged when we first learned about the allegations of theft of donated funds intended for the Charity. Federal prosecutors have charged Skeeter Manos with ten counts of wire fraud. Manos was the Treasurer of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, but has never been a member of the Charity’s executive board. Since being notified, we have fully and completely cooperated with the investigation. We will refer all questions pertaining to the investigation to the U.S. Attorneys’ Office.
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A Lakewood, Washington Police Officer who served as the Treasurer of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild was arrested today and charged with ten federal felonies related to the alleged embezzlement of more than $120,000 from a fund intended to benefit the families of four Lakewood Police Officers who were killed in the line of duty in November 2009. SKEETER TIMOTHY MANOS, 34, of Dupont, Washington, was arrested without incident at the Lakewood City Hall early this morning. He will make his initial appearance on the charges in U.S. District Court in Tacoma at 2:30 today.
University Place plans Open House to celebrate its new Police Headquarters
Posted by | CommentsThe City of University Place will hold an Open House on Thursday, Feb. 9 from 4 to 5 p.m. at its new Police Headquarters located in the Town Center Civic Building, 3609 Market Place West, Suite 201. The public is invited and encouraged to join with the City Council, Commission members, City staff, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department and University Place Police Department personnel in a ribbon cutting and presentations which will begin promptly at 4 p.m. Tours of the facility will follow the program.
Students, teachers say cuts to Tacoma police could compromise future safety, budgets
Posted by | CommentsTwo criminal justice faculty members and their students in the Social Work program at the University of Washington Tacoma have written a position paper regarding proposed cuts to the Tacoma Police Department.
Their advice: think twice.
Today, Jan. 24, the Tacoma City Council will address whether to lay off 56 police officers, and possibly another 44 next month, in order to close a $31 million gap in the city’s budget.
But the long-term effects and costs could far outweigh the short-term advantages, according to “Community Policing Strategies and Effectiveness in Reducing Crime: A Position Paper to the Tacoma City Council.
Police release additional video in serial armed robber case
Posted by | CommentsLakewood police released this video in the hopes someone might recognize the robber who has hit businesses in Lakewood, Tacoma, and Lacey.
LPD looking for leads on serial armed robbery suspect
Posted by | Comments
Image from Stellar Mart robbery.
By Lt. Chris Lawler, Lakewood Police Department
Lakewood Police, Tacoma Police, and the Lacey Police Department are looking for information on an armed robbery suspect who has hit businesses in all three jurisdictions. (Images from Stellar Mart robbery above and below. Video clip can be seen on our Facebook page).
The first robbery that occurred in Lakewood was on December 27, 2011 at 10:29 PM at the Stellar Mart located at 7019 Steilacoom Blvd. S.W. The victim clerk reported that a mixed race (white/black) male came into the business and pointed a black semi-automatic handgun at him, demanding money. The suspect was further described as being 5’10”, 180 pounds, wearing sunglasses, a grey hooded sweatshirt, dark pants, gloves, and what appears to be a bandanna covering his face. The suspect fled the business on foot and was not located.
TNT: Driver smashes into waiting room in Lakewood
Posted by | CommentsThe News Tribune reported a driver smashed into the waiting room of the MultiCare clinic on Bridgeport Way and Gravelly Lake Drive New Years Eve. Read more at The News Tribune website. From LPD's Lt. Chris Lawler, "A vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed crashed into the Multi-Care building in the 9300 block of Bridgeport. When officers arrived, they observed that a vehicle had collided with the building, causing SEVERE damage. The vehicle was on fire and the suspected DUI driver (Airman from McChord) was trying to get the cell phone from the witness who was on the phone with 911. He was the only one in the vehicle and was arrested for DUI and later released to the Military Police."
Lakewood Police arrest three JBLM soldiers for two armed robberies
Posted by | CommentsAt approximately 11:22 PM, on December 13th, the 7-11 located at 10814 Pacific Highway S.W. was robbed at gunpoint by three subjects wearing masks. We believed this to be related to a similar armed robbery to the Union 76 gas station (13100 block of Gravelly Lake Dr. S.W.) that occurred on 12-12-11, where there were three suspects wearing masks. The victim clerk described one of the males as wearing a Spiderman mask. A possible suspect vehicle in that robbery was described as a newer silver 2 or 4 door vehicle.
Avoid DUI arrest with free tow
Posted by | CommentsPolice and tow companies will team up Dec. 17 to keep roads in Fife and surrounding East Pierce County areas safe during one of the biggest party weekends of the season.
Approximately 25 police officers, sheriff's deputies and state troopers will be looking for impaired drivers as part of a special "Night of a Thousand Stars" holiday DUI patrol.
Serial armed robbery suspect arrested by LPD
Posted by | CommentsLakewood Police arrest serial robbery suspect after Lakewood Subway robbery.
On 12-11-11, at around 7:00 PM, Lakewood PD arrested the suspect responsible for the string of 30 robberies that started in May and had occurred all over Pierce County.
Lakewood Detectives and Investigators caught Joshua Nitschke and Cassandra Koepke after Nitschke robbed the Subway store located at 10518 South Tacoma Way SW on Sunday night. Lakewood Detectives and Investigators were watching the Subway restaurant when Nitschke went in to commit the robbery. LPD was out in Lakewood watching various Subway stores and Little Caesar’s Pizza restaurants, hoping to catch the robber in the act.
Letter: Be Alert for scammers! "University Place Home Invasion lite"
Posted by | CommentsBy Barbara & Ken Miller
(Incident took place 11/25/11 around 1:00 pm at our Orchard St. home ... man involved was an extremely short Latino/Hispanic person probably 4' 6" ... when he left our home he had gotten essentially all of the cash we had (Barbara had just gotten $40 of $75 taken ... at Fred Meyer that morning.)
A Latino/Hispanic man came to our home yesterday, Friday, somewhere around 1:00 pm. He rang the doorbell a bunch of times before Barbara got to the door. She did open the door to speak with him. He began a litany of frantic conversation saying he was our neighbor and he hated to ask but urgently needed our help! ... said he had locked himself out of his car ... and said police said he must move car immediately. (he didn't tell Barbara where car was but said police couldn't help him get it unlocked ... police could call whomever they work with but would be more expensive ... much cheaper if he called a locksmith directly himself. He told Barbara he had money at home nearby but if she could give him the money now he would get car unlocked & bring money right back.
A whistleblower audit released today, Nov. 15, by the State Auditor’s Office assumes that the Department of Social and Health Services can save money by contracting with off-island providers for medical services provided to residents at the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island. The Department questions the accuracy of the audit’s assumptions.
Two-thirds of the medical services provided to Special Commitment residents are already done through contracts with providers for on-island services. But the SCC serves a unique population in a unique location. The SCC offers treatment to the nearly 300 individuals who have been found to meet legal criteria as sexually violent predators.
Public Service: Crimestoppers
Posted by | Comments
Drug Court uses Skype to keep in touch
Posted by | CommentsPierce County News Release
Pierce County Drug Court is incorporating the use of Skype internet technology to the Review Hearing process for participants who attend inpatient drug and alcohol treatment outside of Pierce County.
Pierce County Drug Court adheres to the 10 "Key Components," developed by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, that are designed to provide courts with a model that can be adapted to fit the specific needs of the community. The seventh Key Component states that "ongoing judicial interaction with each participant is essential."
TNT: New details from last Friday's house fire in Lakewood
Posted by | CommentsThe New Tribune is reporting the home that caught fire twice last week may have been as a result of a hashish-oil making operation. Read more at the Lights & Sirens blog.
Lakewood home burns... twice
Posted by | CommentsLakewood, WA – On Friday, September 2 at approximately 12:45 p.m., firefighters from West Pierce Fire & Rescue responded to a report of a house fire with possible entrapment. The first crews on scene reported heavy smoke and fire from the front and rear of the house. Firefighters also found a male in his mid-thirties in the front of the house with severe burns. He was treated immediately and airlifted to Harborview for further treatment.
LPD looking for suspect
Posted by | Comments
The Lakewood Police Department is investigating an abduction and attempted rape that occurred in the early morning hours of August 14, 2011 in the Woodbrook neighborhood of Lakewood.
The suspect jumped into the victim’s vehicle and forced her at gunpoint to drive to a more secluded area where he attempted to rape her. During the sexual assault, the suspect punched the victim repeatedly in the face causing significant injury. The suspect inadvertently honked the horn in the victim’s vehicle during the assault, alerting a neighbor, and causing the suspect to flee.
