‘Good Vibes’ sweatshirt was bad news for easily spotted shoplifting suspect

Bad vibes for shoplifter in recognizable sweatshirt

On May 19, police were dispatched to the Famous Footwear at 5151 Borgen Blvd. in Gig Harbor over a suspected shoplifting.

Police say they were told by an employee that a white male wearing a white sweatshirt that had “Good Vibes” on it had stolen two pairs of Nike shoes. The shoes were valued at $173.90.

The employee told police that the suspect entered the store, grabbed the shoes, and exited without paying for them. The employee also said the suspect got into the front passenger seat of a blue Honda Civic that subsequently sped off, almost hitting someone in the parking lot. The employee said she didn’t get a good look at the driver or the license plate, though she provided police with surveillance video. Police say they received a tip about the suspect after his photo was posted on the department’s Facebook page.

Police say they believe the person identified by the tipster matches the surveillance photo and the investigating officer has been notified.

Catalytic converter stolen from pickup

On May 21, police say they were called to the Meineke Car Care Center at 5309 Point Fosdick Dr. in Gig Harbor over a suspected theft of a catalytic converter.

Police say they were told by the manager that that an unknown person had stolen the converter from a customer’s vehicle. sometime in the previous several days.

The vehicle, a Ford F-350 truck, had been parked in the parking lot of the business. The vehicle owner had since been notified, though the location did not have video surveillance. Police said they have closed the report due to having no leads on the suspect to pursue.

There has been a rise in converter thefts in Gig Harbor and across the country due to the rising prices of the precious metals they contain.

— Chase Hutchinson

This story was originally published May 26, 2021 at 5:30 AM.