Washington State Patrol says scammers are impersonating their memorial foundation
Dec 23, 2025, 9:26 AM
A WSP vehicle as part of a memorial for Trooper Guting. (Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Photo courtesy of KIRO 7)
Washington State Patrol (WSP) is warning the public to double-check before donating so the money doesn’t end up going to scammers.
The department says someone is trying to mimic the Washington State Patrol Memorial Foundation’s Venmo account.
You can find them at www.wspmf.org or @WSP-MemorialFoundation.
On Friday, Trooper Tara-Marysa Guting died in the line of duty. She was hit by a vehicle in Tacoma while responding to a crash.
State patrol worries that scammers are trying to take advantage of the surge of generosity stemming from Trooper Guting’s loss.
“Always be careful when making online donations to any organization. Before giving, it is a good idea to check reputable charity listings as well as the specific organization’s website and social media accounts to make sure your donations are going to the appropriate party and will be used as you intended,” state patrol shared.
Washington State Patrol does not accept monetary donations from the public. Instead, donations must go through the memorial foundation.
Guting was the 34th trooper to be killed in the line of duty in WSP’s 105-year history. She was 29 years old and graduated from the academy a little over a year ago.
Tacoma police are now searching for a vehicle of interest in her death. They’re looking for a dark pickup truck, possibly black in color. It is believed to be either a Chevrolet Avalanche (four-door) or a Cadillac Escalade EXT-style pickup (four-door). The vehicle may have tinted windows, chrome door handles, and chrome running boards. No license plate information is available.
Police ask that anyone who witnessed the collision, observed the vehicle of interest, or may have dash-camera footage from southbound SR-509 in the area of Port of Tacoma Road around 7:20–7:30 p.m. on Friday, contact investigators.
“This second vehicle — it’s dark, it’s rainy, there’s a lot going on in that area – also struck the trooper,” Shelbie Boyd with the Tacoma Police Department told KIRO 7. “We really want to talk to that person to kind of put this puzzle together completely.”
Anyone with information on the truck or its driver to reach out to Crimestoppers at 1 (800) 222-TIPS. A $1,000 reward is offered for information leading to the driver’s arrest.
“Being able to help the state patrol with investigating this case is really important to us,” Boyd said. “It is important to the troopers, to the community, to the family that we get it right.”
