He looked panicked, chose a strange parking spot, and ran a red light. Police noticed

Editor’s note: This blotter is compiled from recent Gig Harbor police reports.

His wish list came true, or was it hers?

Gig Harbor police arrived at Ulta Beauty Sept. 14 at 5500 Olympic Drive, where an employee told the officer a man came into the store, walked around and asked the employee to borrow a pen to make a list, according to the police report.

The man left the store and got into an older black Jeep Cherokee with a woman, who then entered the store alone. Employees suspected she was under the influence of methamphetamine, the report said.

Employees said she avoided eye contact, put several fragrances in a basket, and asked employees for additional perfumes.

Then she approached the front of the store for checkout, but bolted out the exit instead, getting into the Jeep that was in front of the store, according to the report.

The amount of merchandise stolen is believed to be valued between $750 to $1,000.

The store has since moved fragrances into a secure location.

Not-so-stealthy shoplift thwarted

Officers arrived Sept. 11 at the Target at 11400 51st Ave. NW to deter theft. An employee told them a suspicious woman in the store might be shoplifting.

Before officers arrived, she asked an employee at the cash register if they could hold her items, while she allegedly went to find her brother.

By this time police arrived and the woman returned with a man who immediately walked into the bathroom, in sight of where officers were standing.

One of the officers observed the man had a large square-like package concealed under his jeans. As the officer walked into the bathroom he heard the man close a bathroom stall door. The officer looked underneath the stalls, but did not see any merchandise at that time, according to the report.

The officer heard the man tear what sounded like cardboard. That’s when the officer exited the bathroom and told the employee he believed a possible shoplift was in progress.

The man flushed the toilet several times, before leaving the bathroom without the bulkiness in his jeans that he entered with.

At this point one officer decided to keep an eye on the man and another checked the bathroom.

In the bathroom officers saw a torn open, empty AT&T cellphone box on the floor, which officers gave to the employee.

Both officers contacted the man and asked him about the phone.

Immediately he told officers the phone was in his pocket, then handed it over.

Police issued him a criminal citation for theft, but did not issue a trespass notification upon request of Target.

Officer finds damaged vehicle, panicked-looking driver

An officer was patrolling the Fred Meyer parking lot Sept. 5 at 5502 Point Fosdick Dr.

The officer observed a blue Volkswagen Beetle with significant driver side damage. The gas-operated vehicle was parked in an electric car parking spot, according to the police report.

He saw there was a male driver and female passenger inside.

When the vehicle left the charging station, the officer drove up next to it. The officer thought the driver had a panicked look on his face, according to the report.

The officer pointed two fingers at his own eyes and then two fingers at the driver’s to let the driver know the officer saw him, the report said.

The Volkswagen quickly drove off out of the parking lot and through a red light.

At this time, the officer turned on his emergency lights, but the vehicle wouldn’t pull over.

The officer did not pursue the chase because it did not meet pursuit requirements, the report said.

Catalytic converters remain popular targets

In the span of three days, from Sept. 7 to Sept. 9, four different reports showed catalytic converter being stolen.

The incidents happened on Grandview Street, Burhnam Drive, Soundview Drive and Rosedale Street.

Three of the four vehicles in the incidents were in parking lots, according to reports.