K-9 Catches South Hill Rental Scam Artist

SOUTH HILL, WA - With the help of a K-9 unit, the Pierce County Sheriff's Office has caught a suspect who was running a rental scam. Police said the woman would post online that she had a room for rent, charge a deposit, then quickly change the locks once she had the money in hand. The suspect was caught recently in the attic of a home where she was staying.

Police sent the K-9 up to the attic first. The 34-year-old woman said she wasn't going to leave without a fight, but deputies were able to remove her.

The victims in the case all told police the same story. The woman advertised a room on 114th Avenue East on Craigslist or Facebook. The victims would then meet with the woman and provide a deposit of $650 plus $1600 to rent the room. Some victims paid more than that, also paying a security deposit plus the last month of rent.

The suspect would then give the keys to residents, but the keys wouldn't work. Sometimes the suspect asked for more money or said additional paperwork was needed.

Deputies identified the suspect and learned last month that she was also a suspect in a theft case from Rent-A-Center. Police said she rented two TVs, a media center, a sofa, and a washer/dryer set with a value of more than $5,000, which she never made payments on. She later allegedly pawned the two TVs.

The suspect was brought up on multiple charges including second-degree theft and trafficking stolen property. (For more local news, click here to sign up for real-time news alerts and newsletters from Puyallup, click here to find your local Washington Patch. Also, follow us on Facebook, and if you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Image via Pierce County Sheriff's Office