Man arrested after stealing signatures for petition against millionaire’s tax
A 54-year-old man is in custody for second-degree robbery after allegedly assaulting a woman at a South Hill Safeway and stealing a piece of paper with signatures for an initiative.
Carly Cappetto, spokesperson for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, told The News Tribune the incident happened on Tuesday in the Safeway at 15501 Canyon Road. A 63-year-old woman was gathering signatures for an initiative aimed at stopping the recently-passed state income tax for those making $1 million or more per year. The man allegedly walked up to her and asked to see the petition.
The woman handed him the petition, Capetto said, and he walked off. The victim allegedly told police the paper had 20 or 30 signatures on it.
The News Tribune does not generally name suspects before they are charged.
“She had confronted him like, ‘Hey, you need to give this petition back, and you need to stop this,’ and he didn’t really respond to her [except to] tell her that she was there illegally and that she wasn’t allowed to collect signatures,” Cappetto said.
Cappetto told The News Tribune the woman was allowed to gather signatures at the Safeway.
The woman allegedly followed out to the parking lot, recording him and trying to get him to give the signatures back, Cappetto said. At one point, he either covered her phone up with his hand or hit her phone, trying to get her to stop recording him.
Cappetto said he then got in the car and left.
On Thursday afternoon, Cappetto said police went to the man’s house and arrested him without incident.
He was booked in Pierce County Jail at about 4:32 p.m. Wednesday, according to jail records. His only listed charge is for second-degree robbery, but Cappetto says that could change.
“It’s all going to be up to the prosecutor if they want to add on the assault, if they want to add on theft, and during the investigation, there could be more charges added,” Cappetto said.
Cappetto said he could also face one count of corrupt practice, which, according to state law, happens when someone “Interferes with or attempts to interfere with the right of any voter to sign or not to sign an initiative or referendum petition.”
Adam Faber, spokesperson for the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told The News Tribune prosecutors are reviewing all the video footage in the case before officially charging him.
Cappetto told The News Tribune the list of signatures is still missing.
“He claims he threw them out the window, and so they’re going to kind of backtrack and hopefully find those,” Cappetto said. “... If you find signatures that appear to belong to somebody, turn them into the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office.”
Residents can call the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office at 253-287-4455.
This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 2:56 PM.
