Violent suspect connected with Tacoma nuisance house arrested. The home’s now closed off
A house in south Tacoma that’s been a hot spot of criminal activity for nearly half a year was boarded up in the past week after authorities arrested a high-priority offender with ties to the home. Since October, three drive-by shootings have taken place outside the property, and 10 stolen vehicles parked there were recovered, according to the Puget Sound Auto Theft Task Force.
The task force partnered with Tacoma Police Department’s Community Housing Unit and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department’s Civil Unit to investigate the property. The three departments worked together to close off the residence. They also placed signs outside the house warning passersby that anyone trying to enter or occupy the property would be subject to arrest.
The house in the 1300 block of South 90th Street Court near Parkland has been the subject of scrutiny from local law enforcement agencies since last year. There have been at least 37 calls to police about the house since Oct. 1, the task force stated in its online post.
Prior to the house being boarded up, authorities arrested a known violent offender who attempted to escape police in a stolen vehicle. On March 14, a sergeant with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Investigations Unit noticed a pickup parked outside the property. The officer learned that the vehicle was stolen at gunpoint in Edgewood on March 2, the sheriff’s department stated in its online news release.
While deputies were monitoring the truck, the offender got inside and drove away. A chase ensued in which the man rammed two patrol cars before running off. The sergeant caught up with the man and arrested him. A gun was found in the truck, according to the sheriff department’s release.
The 33-year-old man was booked into Pierce County jail, with bail set at $75,000, according to the sheriff’s department. The prosecutor’s office has identified him as a high-priority offender.
Prosecutors have charged him with two counts of second-degree assault and obstructing police. He had pre-existing charges, some of which had warrants for his arrest. They include two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree robbery and forgery, the sheriff’s department said.
The man was convicted of first-degree robbery in 2009 and sentenced to 90 months in prison, as well as an additional 60 months for a deadly weapon sentence enhancement. While serving his sentence in 2011, he was convicted of perjury for lying during a shooting trial, adding an extra 50 months to his total sentence, the sheriff’s department said.
