TACOMA, WA – Shortly after 7:00 p.m. on the night of Monday, December 7, 2020, our deputies and detectives responded to a report of an attempted carjacking in a driveway along with Gratzer Road E. in the Waller area. The victim told deputies that as she was backing out of a driveway, one of her former roommates approached her car and pointed a handgun at her. The suspect reportedly told her to open the car doors, while a second male also approached her car and displayed a firearm. The armed suspects then reportedly fled in a silver vehicle after a witness intervened. Deputies learned that the first suspect had multiple active felony warrants for his arrest; additional patrol units were advised to be on the lookout for the suspect.
On the morning of Wednesday, December 9, one of our property crimes investigators obtained information on a possible location for the wanted fugitive at an apartment complex on Waller Road E. near 112th St. E. The investigator was also looking for the same suspect on an unrelated credit card fraud case from August of 2020.
Multiple deputies from our Crime Suppression Team, Domestic Violence Unit, and Proactive Property Crime Unit set up surveillance around the apartment complex. Deputies later observed the suspect in the parking lot standing in front of a silver Chevrolet Equinox; as deputies approached the suspect, he suddenly dove into the vehicle and was seen moving something into the back seat of the vehicle. Deputies dragged the suspect out of the vehicle and to the ground, then placed him into handcuffs.
The suspect was found to be wearing an empty holster, and a handgun was observed on the vehicle’s floorboards behind the driver’s seat. Deputies also observed that the suspect had a gunshot wound on his leg, which they learned was from reportedly being shot by an unknown person the previous day.
After being checked by medics at the scene, the 29-year-old male suspect was booked into the Pierce County Jail Assault in the 1st degree, Robbery in the 1st degree, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm in the 1st degree, Obstructing Law Enforcement, Identify Theft in the 2nd degree, Theft in the 2nd degree, Identity Theft in the 1st degree, Possession of Stolen Property in the 2nd degree, and Retail Theft… as well as warrants for two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance, two counts of Burglary in the 2nd degree, Riot with a Deadly Weapon.
Police did not reveal the name of the suspect.