Gated community can’t keep car thieves, prowlers out; police seek ID of suspects

PUYALLUP, Wash. — People in one Pierce County apartment complex are on guard after more than 20 car prowls within the last month.

The gates at Canyon Park Apartments in Puyallup seem like they’d keep burglars out, but Paula — who did not want to give out her last name — has lived here for five years and says they don’t work very well.

“Our car got stolen in April. When the weather gets nicer, they seem to come out more,” Paula said of the burglaries and car prowls she notices this time of year.

She says she’s seen her fair share of break-ins; just two months ago her apartment lock was tampered with and last weekend her neighbor’s car was broken into.

“His window was broken, they had a lot of stuff in there,” said Paula. “There was a lady who left her wallet one night and they stole that.”

Pierce County sheriff’s Detective Ed Troyer says in less than a month, there’s been 21 car prowls here.

“There are a lot of nice cars, I didn’t realize it was that much,” said Paula.

Police say on February 28 a woman’s car was ransacked and her credit cards stolen.

Surveillance video shows one suspect using that stolen credit card at McLendon’s hardware near the apartment complex to buy bolt cutters and other items. That stolen credit card then gets swiped at Jack in the Box up the street and a couple hours after that a second suspect tried to use the same credit card at McLendon’s again -- to buy gloves and propane cans -- but that time the card gets denied.

“A pair of bolt cutters, what are those used for, doing more break-ins. Black gloves, burglars love gloves and propane, which leaves us to believe this may be someone who is transient living in a tent ‘cause they use those cans for cooking, heat and other things,” said Troyer.

Paula says that makes sense. She sees a lot of homeless people around the apartment complex.

"I leave at 5:30 in the morning and it’s pretty creepy to go to work,” said Paula.

The apartment complex has gates around all the main entrances, but Paula pointed out un-fenced areas where people can easily walk in and out of the complex.
"What they need to do is fence all the way around,” said Paula.

But until then, she says, she’s staying put and making sure not to leave anything in her car.

Since her car was stolen, she has purchased a new one with an alarm system and parks her other car in a garage. Paula says she does see a police officer come through the complex at least once a day and says the apartment complex has required visitors to get passes at the main offices.

If anything about the suspects seems familiar, call an anonymous tip into:
CRIME STOPPERS: 1-800-222-TIPS or use the P3Tips App on your phone.  You can also submit the info at http://www.P3Tips.com. It is anonymous and there is a $1,000 reward for tips that lead to an arrest in the case. 

CLICK HERE for information on how to TEXT A TIP to Crime Stoppers