Crime & Safety
Criminal Returns to Scene of Crime, Gets Arrested
It was a crime of opportunity and an arrest made easier by a criminal who couldn't stay away.
The original report came in on Thursday, February 21, 2013. A man ran into the Holiday Inn Express at 160 Shoreline Highway to get a receipt from a front desk attendant. When he came back out, the rental car he had left idling in front of the hotel was gone.
Marin CHP officers were called to hotel where they took the information and filed a stolen vehicle report.
Fast forward to Monday, February 25, around 5 p.m. Hotel staff had contacted police believing they might know who had stolen the car. According to CHP spokesman, Officer Andrew Barclay, hotel staff saw a known transient woman in the area about the time the car was stolen.
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“She’s kind of like a squatter,” said Barcley who related that the woman is known to sneak into the hotel rooms while cleaning staff are straightening up and tell them not to bother cleaning the room. Then she would stay until she was discovered.
On the Monday in question, a Marin Deputy Sheriff and a CHP officer were at the hotel getting information regarding the woman. As they were leaving, the woman drove up in the stolen car, a silver 2012 Toyota Corolla.
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The officers positioned their vehicles so the suspect couldn’t drive away, then questioned her and arrested her. The transient woman was identified as 31-year-old Katherine Gallagher.
Gallagher is facing charges of:
1) Felony taking a vehicle without owners consent and
2) Felony possession of stolen property
The vehicle was returned to the rental company and the personal property of the victim was returned to him. The suspect, Katherine Gallagher is no longer transient since she is staying at the Marin County Jail for the time being.
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