The Police Blotter, April 17, 2010

The man went to the police station Thursday and reported that Social Security had dialed into the built-in radio receiver in his body and that he was hearing non-stop emergency broadcasts in his head. He also said that he was constantly being monitored by cameras.  The man said that he had tried using foil on his head to stop the signals, but that it just seemed to make him a better receiver.  The man said that he called the FBI who told him to call the local police.  The man admitted that the police could not help him, but his information was documented. 

Here are other cases the Anacortes Police worked during the week.

Friday, April 9

While checking on a suspicious light inside an unoccupied residence in the area of the 600 block of I Avenue, officers found a 21-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy behind a detached garage holding bottles of beer.  The boy admitted that he drunk a “couple of beers.”  The man denied having bought the beer for the boy, but admitted that the boy had been drinking at a place under the man’s control.  The boy was arrested for underage drinking and a marijuana smoking pipe was then found in his pant pocket.  The boy was referred to juvenile court for underage drinking and possession of drug paraphernalia, and the man was issued a citation for furnishing alcohol to minors. 

Saturday, April 10

An officer attempted to stop a car that had passed another vehicle illegally in the 1100 block of 12th Street.  The car failed to yield for the officer, turned onto J Avenue, and stopped near an alley at which time the male driver jumped out of the car and ran.  An officer chased the man on foot and saw him slam into the gate of a wooden fence in the 1500 block of 11th Street breaking some of the fence boards.  The foot pursuit ended when the man was eventually ordered to the ground at taser point.  The man smelled of alcohol, had slurred speech, and said that he had fled because he was drunk.  The man said that the car he was driving was not his, but that he had been giving the owners a ride home because they had been drinking.  He was placed under arrest for drunk driving and obstructing.  He was subsequently processed for DUI and provided breath samples that were over twice the legal limit.  The officer returned to where the man’s car had been stopped and discovered the car was gone.  An officer then went to the registered owner’s home in the 2300 block of 13th Street and found the car.   The man and his wife both appeared to be extremely intoxicated and the man claimed that he had called his adult daughter to come retrieve the car with him and his wife inside.  The officer spoke with the vehicle owner the next day and the owner admitted that he had lied and that he had actually driven the car home.  The vehicle owner was issued a citation for obstructing.      

Two cars parked in the 1700 block of 7th Street were “egged” during the night.  There was no permanent damage to the cars and the culprit is unknown. 

A 34-year-old Anacortes man was charged with harassment after he allegedly threatened to attack another man at a park in the 1100 block of 32nd Street.  The suspect allegedly arrived at the park and ran up to the other man and yelled at him to “stay away from his daughter” or he would harm him.  A woman who had applied for a restraining order against the suspect intervened to stop a potential fight.  The suspect then drove from the scene.  An officer later located the suspect’s vehicle, but not him, so he was issued a court summons.   

A 66-year-old Anacortes man was arrested for drunk driving after a witness watched the man pull into a convenience store in the 1100 block of 12th Street, fall out of his pickup, and then stagger into the store.  The driver left the vehicle running and the driver’s door open.  An officer arrived and saw the driver staggering back to his vehicle.  The driver smelled of intoxicants, had bloodshot eyes, and admitted he had a “few.”  He asked the officer if he could just do him a “favor” and let him go so he could drive home.  The driver failed field sobriety tests and admitted that he was “drunk.”  The driver was processed at the police station and provided breath samples that were over one and a half times the legal limit.  He was released to a sober friend. 

Sunday, April 11

A Yamaha Banshee ATV with 2 flat front tires and an empty fuel tank was reported stolen from a driveway in the 2000 block of M Avenue.  The victim had not seen or heard anything unusual and he had no idea who would have stolen the vehicle.  The ATV was unique in that it had a red frame, blue fenders, and an American flag graphics kit.     

A 47-year-old Mukilteo man fell asleep while driving his car westbound on State Route 20 near Christianson Road.  The man’s car drifted over into the left hand turn lane, bounced off the concrete barrier, and then skidded across the lanes of travel and stopped in a ditch at the side of the road.  Fortunately, no other vehicles were struck and the driver was uninjured.  

Monday, April 12

A 43-year-old Anacortes man was charged with theft after he admitted that he had stolen a bottle of vodka from the liquor store in the 1000 block of Commercial Avenue.  The man told the officer that he had been under the influence of prescription pain medication and that he “forgot” that he had out the bottle into his backpack.  The man said that he left the store and when he later realized he still had the bottle in his backpack, he was too embarrassed to return to the store to pay for it.  He was cited for theft and given new court dates on two warrants for previous theft offenses as the jail would not accept him for booking. 

Tuesday, April 13

An officer contacted a 22-year-old Anacortes man who appeared to be intoxicated walking in the roadway near 34th Street and Q Avenue to check on his welfare.  The man had a warrant for his arrest from previous possession of marijuana and consuming alcohol in City parks charges.  The jail would not take the man for booking, so he was given new court dates and released. 

An Escort brand 20-foot galvanized boat trailer valued at approximately $3,000 bearing Washington license plate 5476RE was reported stolen from a pay parking lot at the intersection of Skyline Way and Cabana Lane sometime during the previous two months.  The trailer had been secured by a cable and the property owner said that he had not moved it.   

Wednesday, April 14

An officer stopped a car driven by a 33-year-old Mount Vernon man on Commercial Avenue for speeding.  The driver smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, and initially handed the officer a credit card instead of his driver’s license.  The driver agreed to perform field sobriety tests on which he performed poorly.  He was placed under arrest for drunk driving and during processing provided breath samples that were significantly over the legal limit.  He was cited for DUI and released to a sober friend. 

A car driven by a 26-year-old Oak Harbor woman who had celebrating her birthday ran into the back of a pickup that had slowed for traffic on State Route 20 at Sharpes Corner.  No one was seriously injured in the accident but a witness who had followed the car from Oak Harbor reported that the car had been weaving all over the road prior to the collision.  The woman smelled strongly of alcohol, had slurred speech, and had difficulty completing her sentences.  When asked to perform field sobriety tests, the woman said that she knew she would fail them since she was “so drunk.”  The woman started to perform the tests, but they were stopped for her own safety as she allegedly could barely stand up.  She provided a portable breath test that was three times the legal limit and was placed under arrest.  She was transported to the station for processing and then booked into jail for DUI. 

Thursday, April 15

Officers contacted a 21-year-old Anacortes woman outside of a bar in the 300 block of Commercial Avenue as they knew she had several warrants for her arrest.  The woman was told she under arrest, but she refused to put her hands behind her back or cooperate.  The woman put up minor resistance, but she was handcuffed.  She refused to walk to a patrol car and had to be carried by 3 officers.  A backpack the woman had been wearing was searched and officers located a baggy of methamphetamine and another baggy containing white residue and an unknown pill.  The woman was booked into jail on six arrest warrants and also faces felony drug charges. 

An SUV parked in the 800 block of 29th Street sustained a small dent and scratching to the paint after being struck with a beer bottle.  The culprit is unknown.

Anacortes Police officers assisted in stopping a car on State Route 20 near Thompson Road after it had been reported stolen on Whidbey Island.  An Island County Sheriff’s Detective had been following the car in an unmarked police vehicle.  The driver was identified as a 17-year-old Oak Harbor boy who was accompanied in the car by his girlfriend.  The two suspects were arrested and then released into the custody of Island County Sheriff’s deputies. 

A chrome ball trailer hitch mounted on a square extension was reported stolen off a pickup parked in a carport in the 1200 block of 20th Street.  The hitch was valued at $35.

Several pieces of mail, including outgoing bill payments and a rented movie, were stolen from a mailbox in the 1900 block of 38th Street.  The victim cancelled the checks. 

Police are investigating vandalism that occurred at a home in the 2400 block of J Avenue.  Reported damage included broken light fixtures, broken closet doors, broken towel racks, and damaged window screens.  Possible suspects were two Anacortes boys, age 15 and 14, who were found in the home earlier in the week after they had stayed away from their homes overnight.  The matter is under further investigation.  

A 32-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to his hand after his 9mm pistol accidentally discharged while he was preparing to clean it at his home in the 1800 block of 7th Street.  The man had been reportedly showing his teenaged niece how the gun worked when it went off.  The niece was not injured and the man was treated at the emergency room.  The man said that he had been “stupid and careless” in showing the niece the gun, especially since he had consumed several beers.  The man was informed that he would be receiving a citation for reckless endangerment. 

A homeowner in the 1800 block of Fife Place reported that someone had stolen a recycling bin that had been placed curbside for morning pickup.  An officer located the bin and two others at the bottom of Sterling Drive near Kingsway.  The bins had scrape marks that the officer suspected were caused by teens riding in the bins down the steep hill.  The one bin was returned to the homeowner. 

Friday, April 16

A resident of Bryce Drive who called police to report the theft of her recycle bin called back to report that the bin had reappeared at her home.  This is believed to be related to the previous call.