LYNNWOOD — When a Lynnwood-area woman’s car caught fire in October 2017, she knew she needed insurance.
But first, she had to set it up, according to charging documents filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
So, the next day, Oct. 11, 2017, she called Geico and allegedly got her car covered after the fact.
Then, on Oct. 13, she called to submit a claim. The woman, 26, said she was trying to jump her car at her apartment complex when the engine burst into flames. The cost for repairs would have topped $8,000.
Noticing how quickly the incident happened after the vehicle was covered, the insurance company sent an investigator.
The investigator found a woman who helped put out the fire. She said it happened on Oct. 10, charging papers say.
He confirmed with an apartment manager that a fire extinguisher was used Oct. 10, the day before the insurance policy was taken out. She said the extinguisher was replaced the next day.
The investigator confronted the defendant with the information. She reportedly maintained that the incident happened Oct. 13.
Then a fraud detective from the state got involved. He pulled up 911 records showing that the fire department responded to a call at the apartment complex on Oct. 10, prosecutors wrote. A Chevrolet Equinox, the same type of car that the defendant owned, was on fire.
The woman is charged with first-degree theft. A trial is scheduled in March.
Zachariah Bryan: 425-339-3431; zbryan@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @zachariahtb.
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