Retail theft sting operation leads to 23 arrests in Gig Harbor

A two-day retail theft sting operation in Gig Harbor ended with 23 people in handcuffs last week.

Twenty-one people are facing theft charges, while two others are facing robbery charges after plain clothes detectives and an investigator with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department worked with Gig Harbor retail Loss Prevention personnel on an emphasis patrol.

Over the course of two days, they arrested 21 people for third-degree theft and two people for second-degree robbery.

Police say that the two arrests for robbery were violent cases, where the suspects put up a fight with store employees while committing the crime.

More than $3,500 worth of stolen items were recovered during this sting.

Man arrested for assaulting coworkers, hate crime in Ballard

Seattle Police arrested a man at a Ballard restaurant Sunday evening after he assaulted several coworkers and a food delivery driver, apparently because of their race.

Around 7:30 p.m., police were called to a disturbance in the 5300 block of 15th Avenue NW. When they arrived, officers were immediately contacted by employees and directed to a man walking away from the scene who they identified as the suspect.

Once the suspect was detained, employees told police the man, who worked with them at the restaurant, tried to assault the food delivery driver through the drive-thru window because he did not speak English.

When the employees tried to intervene, the suspect turned and assaulted them with his hands while shouting obscenities about their race. The suspect also threw chairs from the dining room, which struck two employees, then assaulted two other coworkers before he left.

Seattle Fire was called to the scene to evaluate the victims for injuries.

Police booked the 56-year-old man into the King County Jail for investigation of felony assault and hate crime offenses.

Seattle Police recover car from bottom of Green Lake using ROV

The Seattle Police Department’s Harbor Unit recently conducted a vehicle recovery operation on a car that had been driven into Green Lake earlier this month.

A man in crisis drove his vehicle into the lake in the 7200 block of East Green Lake Drive N and was unable to retrieve it. After he made it safely out of the water, he called 911 for help in recovering his vehicle and to address concerns that led to his car’s location underwater.

SPD’s Harbor Unit pulled the car to shore around noon Monday. The officers utilized a Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV), a highly maneuverable underwater machine, to find the car.

Police divers then assisted the tow truck driver in securing the car that was approximately 50 feet from shore and below 12 feet from the surface of the lake.

Marysville Police warn of “rainbow fentanyl” pills disguised as Tic Tacs

Police recovered more than 200 colorful pills, dubbed “rainbow fentanyl,” some inside a TicTac container during “a recent sweep.”

On Friday, 28 grams of meth and more than 200 fentanyl pills were confiscated, and some of the fentanyl pills were brightly colored and in a Tic Tac container.

The synthetic opioid is 100 times more powerful than morphine, according to the CDC.

It’s not clear who was carrying the pills, how they were caught, or who was the intended target for sale.

The Marysville Police Department warned users in a social media post, where they say officers seized 28 grams of meth as part of the same bust.

“Operation Clean Sweep” led to eight arrests, 37 contacts, one citation, three drug referrals, two seized narcotics, and one seized vehicle.

(Photo from Marysville Police Department)

Bellingham Police arrest dealer with help from K-9 unit, seize 2,000 fentanyl pills

A possible fentanyl dealer was arrested after a traffic stop by an officer and his K-9 partner, according to Bellingham Police.

The drug bust by a Bellingham officer was made on Thursday when K-9 Destro found nearly 2,000 fentanyl pills, a chunk of methamphetamine, a Ruger handgun, and packaging materials inside the suspect’s car.

Police said the suspect was out on bail for other drug-related charges at the time of his arrest.