Tukwila Police arrested a 31-year-old Lakewood woman Tuesday after officers said she shoplifted from a retail store at a mall while accompanied by an infant, then was linked to a stolen vehicle.
According to the department, Detective Mosley and Officer Yaranon responded to the shoplifting report and detained the woman after determining she had concealed merchandise in a bag and then tried to hide it in the infant’s car seat.
Police said the woman initially gave Detective Mosley a false name before providing her real name. Officers then learned she had active felony warrants out of Pierce County for possession of a stolen motor vehicle and eluding, along with a theft warrant, according to the department.
When questioned about how she arrived at the mall, police said the woman became nervous and evasive. Officers reviewed surveillance video and determined she had arrived in a 2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Police said the vehicle’s VIN had been intentionally obscured and that its only license plate belonged to a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee of the same color. Officers determined the 2019 Jeep had been stolen in Seattle and had since been used in various crimes. The vehicle was recovered and impounded.
The woman was booked into jail for theft, providing false statements and the felony warrants, according to Tukwila Police.
Officers took custody of the infant and waited with the child at the Police Department’s mall substation until family members arrived. Police said Officer Yaranon noticed the infant’s diaper had not been changed in some time, then bought diapers, cream and wipes and cared for the child until relatives arrived. Photo courtesy Tukwila P.D.
