Lacey home was for sale, so thief pretended to be a real estate agent, police say
A man was arrested on suspicion of multiple crimes last month, including criminal impersonation, after he posed as a real estate agent to burglarize a Lacey home that was for sale, according to Lacey police.
About 3:45 p.m. June 23, police were dispatched to an auto parts store after the victim reported that more than $1,000 in equipment had been purchased with a stolen credit card.
Police later learned that a man in his 50s, plus an unidentified woman thought to be in her 60s, showed up at the victim’s Lacey home earlier in the day, pretending to be real estate agents, Sgt. Shannon Barnes said.
The house, which is for sale, is in the area of Marvin Road Southeast and Pacific Avenue, Barnes said.
The nanny answered the door and the man and woman explained that they needed to measure the house. Multiple people already had looked at the house for sale, so she let them in, Barnes said. The man then proceeded to steal things from the house and left, she said.
The credit card was used again at a gas station on Martin Way, so police tracked the suspect there and were able to identify the man based on a description.
The suspect was initially detained at the gas station, but then ran west on Martin Way where he was eventually taken into custody by police, Barnes said.
In addition to criminal impersonation, the man was booked on suspicion of residential burglary, forgery, obstructing a law enforcement officer, and an outstanding warrant, she said.
This story was originally published July 2, 2022 at 5:30 AM.
