Gig Harbor police reports for the week of Aug. 30

From Gig Harbor police reports.

Thieves steal woman’s car, then hit her with it

Aug. 6 — A woman was smack by her own car after a pair of teens decided to steal it outside a movie theater.

Gig Harbor police were dispatched to the movie theater on Point Fosdick Drive Northwest at 7:15 p.m. for a strong-arm robbery. Police found the victim on the ground with road rash. The woman was conscious and hyperventilating, according to the police report.

Once police calmed the woman down, she told them she was sitting on the curb near the road with her car keys next to her while talking on her phone. A teen boy in a gray hooded sweatshirt ran up and grabbed her keys, she alleged.

The woman chased after the boy when a second teen boy came up to distract her. She caught up with her car and the first teen boy hit the gas and knocked the woman into the street, according to the report. The two teens fled in the car.

Witnesses gave statements, but police couldn’t track down the thieves. Later that night, police received an anonymous tip from a juvenile who knew the teens and witnessed the assault. Police researched the names and found the teens were listed as runaways.

The next day at 9:44 p.m. an officer was called to the house of the second teen. Officers interviewed the him and tracked down the first teen. Both teens and their families went to the Gig Harbor Police Department for interviews.

The boys admitted to the theft, saying after the robbery they drove the car to Fox Island to hide before heading to the Key Peninsula.

The boys stopped for food and to meet friends before recklessly driving the car and crashing the car into a ditch. The boys failed to get the car out of the ditch and decided to hide in a nearby trailer where they spent the night.

Both teens were charged for assault and strong-arm robbery. They were transported to Remann Hall.

Man tries to break into ATM for rent money, decides it’s a ‘stupid idea’

Aug. 10 — A man desperate to pay his rent broke into an ATM with over $150,000 inside, only to change his mind and flee.

Gig Harbor police were dispatched to Chase Bank on Borgen Boulevard when security surveillance captured a man using a crowbar to break into an ATM that night, according to the police report.

Two officers and a Washington State trooper arrived at the scene and saw the ATM was destroyed. A bank manager arrived and accessed video footage showing the man opening the ATM. An estimated $140,000 to $155,000 was inside the machine.

Gig Harbor police posted photos of the suspect and his car online in hopes of receiving tips about his whereabouts. The next day police received a tip.

Police researched the tipster’s information and tracked down the suspect in his Gig Harbor apartment. The suspect answered the door and willingly went with police, according to the police report.

The man told police his roommate and he owed $2,500 in back rent and were going to be evicted. He also co-signed the apartment with his parents and felt guilty for not paying rent. The man said he recently lost his job and felt desperate so he decided to break into an ATM. Halfway through the crime, the man said, he regretted his choices, saying he realized it was a “stupid idea” and fled the scene.

The man was charged for breaking into the ATM and was released at the scene.

Vehicle prowler(s) on the loose, police investigating multiple thefts

Aug. 8 to Aug. 26 — Police night patrol are on the hunt for suspects involved in a string of vehicle prowls the last few weeks.

There have been 14 reports of vehicle prowling and vandalism in Gig Harbor over that time.

Two included cases where cars were left unlocked. In the other 12 reports, multiple locked cars parked in apartment complexes and nearby retail stores had windows smashed in. Items such as wallets, jewelry, women’s clothes, cash, credit cards, backpacks and vehicle information have been stolen.

The suspect(s) have not been caught on camera or by any surveillance.

Anyone with information on the car prowls can call the Gig Harbor Police Department at (253) 851-2236.