Racist man threatened local psychic with violence in extortion scheme, police say

SEATTLE -- Police are helping a local psychic and ethnic Romani woman secure an anti-harassment order after a 66-year-old man repeatedly called her shop and threatened her life, SPD officers said.

According to police, the unidentified woman owns an International District psychic-reading business. She first called police on Dec. 28 after receiving several alarming phone calls from an angry man, allegedly threatening to send another man to her shop and break all her windows unless she paid him off.

The shop's owner called police, but police weren't able to track down the man since the number he called from was blocked.

The situation calmed until Friday, when again the man called and threatened the psychic, claiming he would kill her. The woman managed to write down the man's number and called police.

Seattle police contacted the man, and he expressed an intense dislike for the Romani People -- the preferred term for gypsies -- police said. Police also learned the man had a long history of threatening Romani people. They instructed the man never to contact the victim again, and warned him that he may be on the hook for harassment charges.

Officers helped the frightened woman close up shop Friday and gave her information about obtaining an anti-harassment order.

Police have referred the case to prosecutors for possible charges of telephone harassment.