Complaint Review: Valerie Waterhouse-Jackson - Bellevue Washington

I am trying to locate Valerie Waterhouse-Jackson, last known address (Nov2001) was North Seattle, in some half-way house. She worked for my company from June 2001 to Nov 2001, before being terminated for a variety of reasons, including theft of petty cash. I lent her a fairly large sum of money ($8000) in August 2001 because she was broke, homeless, and going through a divorce.

I even let her stay rent- free at my home, and she had free use of my spare vehicle (which she damaged/depreciated) because she needed a vehicle to maintain employment. She claimed that she would be able to pay me the money back in September 2001, once her divorce was final, stating she had $90k coming to her. Sept. came and went, and she said the divorse was final but the money was held up. Then she started saying the money was in a special account and was forethcoming in Oct 2001.

October came and went. By now, I was getting very suspicious. Here she was, living in my house, rent-free, driving my Blazer 4x4 for 4 months, racking 10,000 miles in the process, eating my food and stealing from my petty cash drawer at the office! I finally gave her an ultimatum to "come clean" and tell me when I would see the money. She then fabricated some story about working a night job to pay it back. Subsequently, her ex husband informed me that she had NO money coming, and that she owed him too! She paniced when I approached her on this and fled the company.

My vehicle was abandoned in a shopping center. She did move all her stuff out of my house (about a shopping bag full!) and sporatically called during December 2001, saying she would be making a "large partial payment" against this $8000 tab on/before January 2002. She never called back again, and had left no forwarding address or number. All I have is her social security number, her ex husbands name and phone number, and the knowledge that she gave up custody of a child in this latest divorce.

I was informed by the state that I am to begin

garnishing her wages for that. Apparently, they still thought she worked for my company, but I have since responded to the State to report that she has fled. Valerie is around 33 years old, her maiden name was "Dixon", and she subsequently married a Waterhouse, then a Jackson, so she goes by any combination of these names.

She was last dating a 21 year old Romanian guy name David, living in Bellevue, WA. I also now know that Valerie did prison time around 1996-1997 for allegedly stealing from a former boyfriend (?). Facts are spotty and 3rd hand here, but I know she worked for Pioneer Industries in Seattle when she got out of prison as a sort of "rehab" work release program. I also understand that she has 6 total children, 5 (ages 6-16?) out in Pomeroy, WA, being taken care of by her step parents, and the 6th (age 2) living in the Federal Way, WA area.

I am looking for any clues on her whereabouts and any suggestions on how to best collect my $8000 back. I also want to make sure that she doesn't keep on screwing people like this! I've tried going to the police and they said I had to go to the courthouse and fill out reports. Before I go that route, I figured I would try this first. I struggle with the fact that if her former probabtion officer/court system knew what she's been up to lately, she would probably be re-incarcerated, and I wanted to try to avoid that extreme action just yet.

Any comments/suggestions/tips or sightings are greatly appreciated!

Traci

Auburn, Washington