On Monday, Jan. 17, officers were dispatched to an agency assist request from the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office at a motel in Anacortes. The GPS tracking locator of a truck that had been reported stolen was pinging to the motel. Officers responded and located the truck parked, running and occupied by one male with another exiting the vehicle and walking away. One of the officers noted that the license plate did not match the stolen truck plate. The driver saw the approaching patrol car and quickly backed the truck out, nearly striking the officer’s patrol car. The truck drove on the sidewalk as it headed away, and the officer believed the driver was involved in criminal activity and followed the truck. The officer suspected that the truck’s license plate may be false and observed that his behavior was suspicious. The officer followed at normal speed and heard from dispatch that the plate matched a different truck. As the officer followed the truck onto M Avenue, he activated his emergency lights to stop the vehicle for displaying false plates, erratic driving and suspicion that the vehicle had been stolen. When the officer activated his lights, the truck sped off and the officer elected not to pursue due to public safety concerns and policy. Back at the motel, the man who had exited the truck identified the driver, who was eventually located by Washington State Patrol and the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office in Burlington, where he attempted to flee and resist arrest. Officers discovered that the VIN number did not match the one provided in the stolen vehicle report, as the company that owns the truck had given the incorrect vehicle information. The truck was, in fact, the one reported stolen. The officer completed an affidavit for eluding a police vehicle, reckless driving, using a false license plate and third-degree driving with a suspended license. The man was booked into Skagit County Jail.
Friday, January 14, 2022
An officer was dispatched to a trespassing at the laundry facilities at a local apartment complex. The manager said that another man had seen two males inside the laundry room, which is left unlocked for residents. The man confronted them about being there, and they left. The officer found that a storage room door had been pried open and damaged. The manager said the contents of the storage room had been rummaged through, but she did not think anything had been taken at that time. The man who saw the subjects leaving the facility said one of them claimed to be associated with a specific unit and the woman in it, but the officer contacted the woman, who said she did not know who they were.
A construction company employee reported that a job site shack had been broken into. The door jamb was broken and employees on site informed the responding officer that some tools and batteries were missing from inside the job shack. Some other tools taken from the shack were wrapped up in employee raincoats next to the door as if the thief was planning to return to take them later. The values of the stolen property totaled up to $990, while the damaged door jamb totaled to $500.
Dispatch received a call from a man who had taken five mushrooms and said he had a shotgun. Prior to officers arriving at his location, the man’s mother advised that there were no weapons present. Officers arrived and confirmed that no weapons were present and stood by while the Anacortes Fire Department worked with the man. Eventually, he was left in the care of his mother.
Saturday, January 15, 2022
There was a two-car reportable collision at 12th Street and I Avenue. One car pulled out from the I Avenue stop sign and failed to yield to a vehicle driving on 12th. No injuries were reported, one vehicle was towed and an infraction was issued.
There was a report of two male and two female juveniles throwing a football at the reporting party’s car. They were last seen walking up the hill from 22nd and M Avenue. The responding officer located the four juveniles with the football, who said they were not throwing anything at cars. The officer told them to stop if they were.
Monday, January 17, 2022
Dispatch was contacted regarding a 70-year-old Anacortes man who was talking to the reporting party’s children. The man was seen taking the kids’ Nerf toys prior to leaving the area toward the 800 block of 37th Street. The kids’ mother said she had seen the man pick up their Nerf darts from the yard across from their residence. The father followed the man, who appeared to have concealed himself in the bushes. The parents told the officer that they did not care about the darts and just wanted the man to no longer communicate with their children. The officer contacted the man, who said he picked up the darts because they were in a neighbor’s yard and he was trying to help, and he had briefly spoken to the kids about the Nerf guns. The officer requested that the man not talk to the kids anymore, and he returned three Nerf balls.
A store employee advised that another employee had seen a subject drop a large bag of possible drugs in the parking lot. An officer collected the drugs and observed a white powder with crystal-like shards of varying sizes. The woman who saw the drugs dropped said she was on her lunch break when she saw a woman exit a car and get into the passenger seat of another vehicle, dropping the bag in the process. The employee picked up the bag and it was turned over to officers, who later tested it and presumptively identified it as methamphetamine. It was then submitted for destruction.
Three different parties reported that various items had been taken from their boats docked in Cap Sante Marina. Officers are reviewing footage of the dock.
The reporting party found two loaded needles on the street near his residence in the 1600 block of 10th St. An officer collected the needles and disposed of them in a sharps container.
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
A 54-year-old Anacortes man reported that his vehicle had been stolen while parked downtown. He said the car was left unlocked and that the keys were most likely left inside as well.
There was a two-car, non-injury, reportable accident in the 3300 block of Commercial Avenue. Both vehicles were towed.
An officer was dispatched to a request for removal at a local coffee shop. The officer was told that there was a white female there who was yelling at the staff and a customer. The manager requested that she be removed and banned. The woman was outside already, and the officer completed a trespass form. The manager later said he wanted her charged with a crime if she returns to the store.
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Dispatch advised that a semi truck and a 40-foot trailer were stuck blocking Fidalgo Bay Road. The responding officer arrived to find the trailer completely blocking the road with the end hanging over the embankment. The driver said he was trying to go to Oak Harbor and his GPS had told him to turn around, so he tried to do so and had gotten stuck. A tow truck removed the vehicle with no damage to any property or the vehicle.
Dispatch advised of an attempted theft in the 1400 block of 11th Street. The reporting party, a 67-year-old Anacortes man said a male had attempted to steal a can of gas from his porch. The man said he saw an unknown male in his backyard, so he confronted the man and found him carrying a five-gallon gas can that belonged to him. The man dropped the gas can and ran into an alley adjacent to the backyard, getting into a vehicle.
A 38-year-old Anacortes woman called dispatch to report concrete and rocks all over her car in the 3200 block of R Avenue. She showed an officer her vehicle and explained that she was inside the building when she heard a loud crashing sound. She exited the building and found what appeared to be concrete on her vehicle. The responding officer noted that there did appear to be a concrete-like substance on the car, and there was no visible damage. The woman said she just wanted the incident documented.