Graham woman attempted to burglarize burned home, posed as UPS driver, charges say
A Pierce County woman is accused of disguising herself as a UPS driver in an attempt to burglarize a burned home over the weekend.
Prosecutors charged the 37-year-old woman with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree attempted burglary and making or having burglar tools, according to court records.
A plea of not guilty was entered on the woman’s behalf during her arraignment Tuesday, records show. Pierce County Superior Court Judge Philip Thornton set her bail at $25,000.
Deputies were dispatched at around 4 p.m. on Sunday to the 19900 block of 122nd Street East for reports of a suspicious person in the area. A neighbor reported the person was loitering around cars and backyards while dressed as a UPS worker, according to charging documents.
The 37-year-old woman was walking through a yard near the front door of the home with a face mask on when deputies arrived. They believed she matched the description that the neighbor called in, documents show.
Deputies noted she was wearing a UPS uniform and had a badge. There was no UPS delivery truck nearby, prosecutors wrote. When a deputy asked her why she was wearing the uniform, the woman said it was a joke.
The woman was reaching into her pockets during her interaction with deputies, prosecutors wrote. When asked if she had any weapons on her, the woman said no. Deputies allegedly found a firearm in her pocket, and she was placed into handcuffs., prosecutors wrote.
During the arrest, the woman allegedly faked a seizure and pretended to be dead, documents show. She admitted to faking the seizure because she wanted to avoid going to jail.
When deputies searched her, they found a bag she was carrying had burglary tools including side cutting pliers, bolt butters, a window punch and over 50 random small keys, prosecutors wrote. The woman also allegedly admitted to a deputy there were drugs in her car that was parked in the neighborhood.
A neighbor showed deputies video of the woman allegedly walking into her backyard that day. She was carrying the bag and allegedly knocked down a security camera, documents show.
After a deputy advised the woman of her Miranda rights, she allegedly admitted that she came to the area so she could go through the burned home to sell anything inside, prosecutors wrote. When she saw the house was boarded up, the woman said she left and then encountered the deputies.
The woman also allegedly told a deputy that she was using a police scanner app on her phone to avoid being caught, prosecutors wrote.
Court documents show the woman had 11 previous felony convictions including one for first-degree robbery. Additional charges might be filed.
