But when a thief stole her husband's credit cards earlier this week, she began to do some police work of her own.

"Lisa," who didn't want to be identified by her real name, says the problem started when her husband went to play basketball at the Tukwila Community Center and left his clothes and wallet in a locker.

When Lisa's husband's credit cards disappeared, the center's employees reviewed surveillance footage and zoomed in on one man.

"We just went with the time that we thought potentially something could have happened, narrowed it down to one person of interest. And that's what we have right now," said Bruce Fletcher, director of Tukwila's Parks and Recreation Department.

The thief apparently wanted the crime to go unnoticed. He slipped out the credit cards, but left the license and debit card intact. Afterward, he put the wallet back the way he found it.

"If he messed up the locker, then my husband would know my credit cards are gone," said Lisa.

Lisa realized the cards were gone when the credit companies called about a sudden string of purchases, which included a $2,500 TV set. The stay-at-home mom immediately went to work to track down the crook.

"You get on the phone. You get on the computer. I had two phones going. I talked to my husband. I talked to the community center," she said.

Two hours later, Lisa found an ad on Craigslist for the same TV the thief had bought with her husband's card.

Between the footwork she's done and the follow-up works detectives still can do, she hopes to have this locker-room thief wrapped up with a bow.

"I'd like him to have a very nice Christmas present," she said.

Tukwila Community Center reports at least four locker-room thefts in recent weeks. Police have not determined whether the incidents are related.