The Police Blotter has more details of the early Wednesday morning shooting drama outside a downtown motel, including several calls to 911, discovery of a weapon hidden nearby and police use of surveillance photos.
At 1:37 am Wednesday, officers responded to a motel in the 1100 block of 6th Street after witnesses reported seeing a man shoot a gun outside of the motel. The man then fled on foot from the area. A tenant at the motel said that she had heard the man yelling and that when she walked outside and asked the man what was going on the man began to yell at her. The man then allegedly pointed the gun in the direction of the tenant and her son who had also walked outside and fired a round. Witnesses provided a description of the man and a possible first name but police were unable to locate him. Police did find a bullet casing on the sidewalk in the area where the man fired the gun. Later that morning, the gun believed to have been used was located in an alley near the motel. The same morning, an unknown man called 911 from a pay phone outside of an Anacortes convenience store and commented that there would be “more shots” fired at the motel. Officers obtained surveillance video of the male caller. Later that day witnesses from the motel reported that the suspect from the shooting was back outside the motel shouting about trying to find his gun. While police were searching the area, a man called 911 and wanted an officer to call him about getting his gun back. A short time later, officers contacted a 41-year-old man walking in the 1400 block of 14th Street. The man matched the description of the shooter and the man in the video who had called 911 earlier from the pay phone. Witnesses verified that the man was the shooter. The man was placed under arrest. The suspect lived with his brother in Anacortes and had taken his brother’s gun without his brother’s knowledge or permission. It had been the brother who had called 911 the final time to inquire about his missing gun. The suspect admitted to shooting the gun “into the air.” The suspect was booked into jail on charges that included assault in the first degree and theft of a firearm.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on this week.
Friday, August 30
10:23 am. Two 30-amp shore power cords and a 100 foot heavy gauge extension cord were stolen off of a boat parked at a home in the 4500 block of Anaco Beach Road. The loss was estimated at $250.
5:05 pm. Police were advised of a possible drunk driver on Commercial Avenue after a witness saw the vehicle weaving and then hit the curb as it exited the roundabout. An officer got behind the vehicle on Commercial Avenue and it pulled into a business parking lot before the officer activated his emergency lights. The driver immediately got out of the vehicle and when the officer asked him why he was exiting the man said, “You’re going to take me in. I’ve been drinking.” The driver, a 54-year-old Seattle man, was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech, and smelled strongly of intoxicants. The man did not have a valid driver’s license and he told the officer that he “hadn’t had a license in years.” The man also said that he had smoked marijuana two hours earlier. He failed field sobriety tests and was arrested. During processing he provided breath samples that were over three times the legal limit. He was charged with DUI and not having a valid license before being released to a sober relative.
6:50 pm. A Nikon “Cool Scan” photo scanner valued at $100.00 was stolen from a home in the 1100 block of 5th Street. The item had been left in the victim’s driveway and was stolen sometime during the night.
Saturday, August 31
12:19 am. An Anacortes officer working a drunk driving emphasis stopped a car for speeding on State Route 20 near Pulver Road. The driver was identified as a 17-year-old Sedro-Woolley girl who had very slurred speech and the strong odor of intoxicants and a mild odor of burnt marijuana. The girl admitted to smoking marijuana a couple of hours earlier, but she initially denied that she had been drinking. She failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest. During processing, she admitted that she had “three drinks” earlier, but she refused to take the breath test. It was also learned that her driver’s license was suspended. She was charged with DUI, driving while suspended, and speeding before being released to her mother. A 19-year-old Bellingham man who was a passenger in the car was also cited for underage drinking after the officer smelled intoxicants on the man and he admitted to having “a few shots.”
12:33 am. A woman reported that her 14-year-old daughter had run out of their apartment in the 1300 block of N Avenue after they had argued about the girl being intoxicated. An officer located the daughter and another 14-year-old girl hiding on the grounds of a nearby school. Both girls exhibited the effects of drinking and both admitted to having “shots’ of alcohol at the first girl’s home. Both girls were placed under arrest for underage drinking and released to their parent/guardians. Approximately two hours later, police returned to the apartment on N Avenue after it was reported that the girl had punched holes in a bedroom door. Officers saw four fresh holes punched into the door and the girl admitted to causing the damage because she was mad at her mother. The mother also had fresh scratch marks on her neck and a swollen lip. The injuries were determined to have been caused by the daughter after the two had physically wrestled with each other. The girl said, “It was probably my fault.” The girl was booked into juvenile detention on charges of domestic violence assault and malicious mischief, minor in possesion, and furnishing liquor to a minor for giving her friend alcohol at her home.
2:52 pm. A 54-year-old woman was arrested for domestic violence assault after she allegedly spit in her 76-year-old mother’s face at their home in the 800 block of 23rd Street after they had argued about what items to bring to an upcoming family reunion. The mother still had saliva on her glasses when police arrived. The daughter, who appeared to be intoxicated, told police that “nothing” had happened. The daughter was booked into the county jail.
Sunday, September 1
3:59 pm. An Anacortes man was the victim of a fraud after he received a “pop up” message on his computer that stated if he did not send $300 child pornography would be loaded on to his computer. The pop-up was allegedly an “FBI warning” that would go away 12 hours after payment was received. The victim was instructed to purchase a “green dot” credit card and pay with that. The victim told police that he panicked and purchased the card and made the payment. The victim said that he knew there was nothing that could be done, but that he wanted the incident documented.
8:24 pm. A resident of the 500 block of V Avenue returned home and found an unknown man lying in a bed. The intruder reportedly appeared “delusional” and told the resident that he had “built the house.” The intruder left when the resident called the police and officers located the intruder pushing a bike in the area. The intruder was identified as a 36-year-old Oak Harbor man who claimed that the house had been “willed” to him. The man was disheveled and claimed that he had “built most of the buildings in Anacortes and still hadn’t been paid” and that he had also built his bicycle and his cell phone. The homeowner did not want to pursue any charges against the man, so police gave the man a courtesy ride to Sharpe’s Corner at his request.
Monday, September 2
12:32 am. A woman reported that she had been struck by her husband at their home in the 2400 block of Forest Park Lane. Police contacted the woman at a local coffee shop and her face was red and swollen and she said it “hurt.” The woman said that the couple had been arguing at their home about their relationship when the man grabbed her by her hair and threw her onto their bed. The man then allegedly said, “I’m going to blast you, bitch” before punching her in the face with a closed fist. The man also reportedly took the woman’s cell phone from her purse and disabled her car. Police found the man at their house and he claimed that they had argued about his wife “drinking too much.” The man smelled of intoxicants. He said that his wife had raised her hands and that he believed she was going to hit him so “there was a struggle.” He denied punching her. The man was placed under arrest and booked into jail on domestic violence assault charges.
5:01 pm. A baseball sized rock was thrown through the passenger side window of a van that was parked in the 800 block of 32nd Street. Police found the rock on the passenger side floor board. The suspect is unknown at this time.
Tuesday, September 3
9:00 am. The two driver’s side tires of a pickup parked at the National Guard Armory were slashed. A puncture was located on the sidewall of each tire. The damage was estimated at $270.
9:13 am. A total of seven tires on three different Anacortes Police vehicles were punctured during the night. The vehicles had been parked behind the police station in the 1200 block of 24th Street. Two of the vehicles were also “keyed” damaging the paint and emblems/decals. The crime is under further investigation.
6:03 pm. Four local teenage males who were swimming at Whistle Lake discovered that a single bag that contained their wallets, car keys, cell phones, and a small amount of cash had been stolen from where they had set it down. They later found the bag on the trail near the parking lot, but their possessions were gone. Another hiker later found one of the teen’s wallets on an embankment near a trail. The wallet contained the teen’s ID and $39.00 in cash.
6:17 pm. One pane of a double paned sliding glass door was shattered by what was believe to be a thrown rock at a home in the 1300 block of 24th Street. The damage was estimated at $500. No suspects.
1:43 pm. A counterfeit $100 bill was passed at a business in the 1700 block of Commercial Avenue. The suspect was described as a “creepy” middle-aged man who had ridden up on a bike. He remained in the business for a protracted period of time and then made an eight dollar purchase and paid with the false bill, which was not discovered until after he had left. When an employee of the business deposited the bill at their bank, a bank employee discovered the bill was actually a “washed” $5.00 bill. The man’s identity is unknown at this time.
1:54 pm. A 45-year-old Anacortes area transient male was arrested for criminal trespass after he was caught inside of an outbuilding at a home in the 800 block of 24th Street. A witness had seen the man climbing through a window to access the building. The owner of the property told police that no one should be in the outbuilding and that the doors were padlocked. The suspect told police that he knew he shouldn’t be inside of the building but that he “needed to get his laundry.”
3:43 pm. A second fake $100 bill was discovered at a bank in the 2200 block of Commercial Avenue after an Anacortes restaurant employee arrived at the bank to deposit the business receipts. The bill was believed to have been passed at the restaurant in the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue around September 1st. As with the previous case mentioned above, the bill was also a $5.00 bill that had been washed. The public is asked to call 911 if they suspect receiving false currency or if they suspect that someone is trying to pass false currency.
3:50 pm. A 16-year-old boy was arrested at his home in the 1700 block of 28th Street after he allegedly threw a remote control at his mother striking her in the elbow. The boy also allegedly knocked over and damaged a lamp after arguing with his mother and “losing it.” The boy had also called his mother derogatory names after becoming mad due to her getting home later than anticipated. He was booked into juvenile detention on domestic violence assault charges.
5:44 pm. The manager of a restaurant in the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue reported the theft of $220 from the store safe and that it was believed that a store employee was responsible. The suspected employee, a 22-year-old Anacortes transient male, told the manager that he had “let himself in” to the business after hours to “retrieve” an item. An officer later contacted the suspect and he admitted that he had stolen the money because he had fallen on hard times and “needed some food.” The suspect said that he had already spent all of the money. The suspect was issued a citation charging him with theft in the third degree.
Wednesday, September 4
12:25 pm. A 69-year-old Hamilton man was issued a traffic ticket for improper lane travel after the semi-truck he was driving ran over freshly poured concrete near 9th Street and Q Avenue. The truck also reportedly nearly struck some construction workers with its trailer. The driver said that he was in “a hurry.” Workers were able to repair the concrete.
3:06 pm. Employees of a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th Street reported that a man had just pushed a shopping cart full of groceries out of the store without paying. When employees contacted the man in the parking lot, he ran off and left the groceries that totaled $295.00. Police contacted the suspect sitting under a tree in the 3300 block of R Avenue after a witness spotted the man. After initially denying any involvement, the 30-year-old Mount Vernon man admitted to stealing the groceries so that he could “have some food.” He was issued a criminal citation charging him with theft in the third degree. The man also had a warrant for his arrest out of Burlington for theft. He was released after being given a new court date.
10:33 pm. Police are investigating the complaint that the live-in manager of an inn in the 900 block of 33rd Street quit her job and then stole two televisions, furniture, and bedding belonging to the business. The 50-year-old woman was also suspected of stealing several hundred dollars from the business till. The matter is under further investigation.