Victim's niece charged in Craigslist house trashing

Victim's niece charged in Craigslist house trashing

A fraudulent posting on Craigslist offering "everything free" left a local home gutted.

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Story Published: May 16, 2007 at 2:35 PM PDT

Story Updated: May 16, 2007 at 2:35 PM PDT

By KOMO Staff

TACOMA, Wash. - Pierce County prosecutors have filed charges against a woman they say posted a hoax ad on Craigslist that led to the trashing of a house owned by her aunt.

Nichole Marie Blackwell was charged with second-degree burglary, malicious mischief, and criminal impersonation.

Blackwell, 28, placed an ad on the popular web site purporting to be the home's owner and inviting anyone to take whatever they wanted from the house.

People took the ad literally, ransacking the home and taking light fixtures, wires, doors -- even the kitchen sink.

According to court documents, police tracked the ad to a computer used by Blackwell, who allegedly admitted posting the fake ad.

She told police that she'd disliked her aunt for years and was angry that the woman had evicted her mother from the house that was later vandalized as a result of the Craigslist ad.

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