A sharp eyed Anacortes bank teller became suspicious when a customer tried to deposit 2 money orders and the teller confirmed that the money orders were fraudulent. The bank customer, an Anacortes area man, then contacted the police and told them that he had responded to an ad looking for “mystery shoppers” and received 2 money orders in the amount of $925 each from the company’s contact person. The man said that he had been instructed to send $1,500 to a person in Maine and keep the balance for himself. Fortunately the man did not get cheated out of any of his money.
Here are other incidents that Anacortes Police handled this week.
Friday, Oct. 12
11:38 am. A 1991 Toyota Camry was stolen from a home in the 1300 block of K Avenue during nighttime hours. The victim said that she had all of the keys to the vehicle and it was unknown how the car was started to drive it away. The next day, an officer on patrol found the car parked facing the wrong direction and abandoned in the 1800 block of Island View Place. The victim came to the scene and took possession of the car as it appeared to be undamaged and was in running condition. There are no suspects at this time.
12:45 pm. A 6-gallon plastic gas can was stolen from the bed of a pickup parked in the 2000 block of N Avenue during the night. The victim said that it was the third time that a gas container had been stolen from his vehicle.
1:22 pm. A JVC brand car stereo, CD player, and navigation system valued at $1,800 was stolen from inside of a pickup owned by an Oak Harbor man that was parked at a car dealership in the 12600 block of Thompson Road. The dash of the vehicle had been torn and damaged to aid the unknown thief in the removal of the stereo. The damage to the pickup was estimated at $500. The vehicle had reportedly been locked, but there was no sign of forced entry.
1:57 pm. An 18-year-old Anacortes man was taken into custody in the lobby of the police station after it was confirmed that he had a felony warrant for his arrest. The man claimed that his attorney had taken care of the warrant, but when the attorney was contacted he admitted that he had not yet quashed the warrant. The warrant was for a previous charge of 2nd degree robbery and the man was booked into the county jail.
5:03 pm. An Anacortes woman reported that her car had been prowled in the 800 block of 28th Street a few days earlier and her wallet had been stolen. The woman’s ATM card was later used at an Anacortes bank to withdraw cash from the victim’s account. Bank security video showed that the suspect was a man wearing a white bandana over his face to hide his appearance although it did appear that the man had had long hair pulled into a ponytail. The suspect’s identity is unknown at this time.
5:31 pm. The owner of a topsoil business in the 12400 block of Reservation Road reported that he had interrupted a possible vehicle prowl on his property. The owner had seen a man and woman standing by and possibly tampering with one of his company’s trucks. The couple quickly left in an older vehicle when the owner approached them. Inspection of the truck revealed that the battery cover and battery cables had been removed in an attempt to remove the three batteries. The suspects also left behind some pliers and a pry bar. The next day, police located the suspect vehicle at a home in the 3500 block of Fidalgo Bay Road and identified the suspects as a 35-year-old Sedro-Woolley man and a 25-year-old Sedro-Woolley woman. Both suspects admitted that they had been at the topsoil business the previous day and had been trying to steal the truck batteries to sell for scrap. Both suspects were issued criminal citations charging them with vehicle prowling and criminal trespass.
10:45 pm. Police responded to a hotel in the 400 block of Commercial Avenue after staff reported that a man and woman were staying in a room that they had not paid for and were refusing to leave. Police learned that the couple had been given a key so they could view the room before deciding to rent it for the night. The staff checked the room when the couple failed to return the key or pay for the room and found the couple inside. The man became belligerent and cursed at the staff when told he would have to leave because they were not registered. He told the staff they would have to wait until the morning and he locked the door. When police arrived and entered the room, the couple was gone, but they had left several derogatory and obscene notes around the room. The couple was later located in a bar across the street from the hotel. The couple, both British Columbia citizens, were warned about their behavior and trespassed from the hotel. Police responded back to the hotel 3 hours later regarding the report of a car in the hotel parking repeatedly honking its horn and a man inside yelling profanities towards the staff. Police contacted the same Canadian man who denied doing anything wrong. He was arrested for criminal trespass and taken to the police station. The man was released after receiving his criminal citation and making a sarcastic comment that he “loved America.”
Saturday, Oct. 13
9:14 am. An Anacortes woman reported that her 1993 Honda Civic had been stolen from her apartment complex parking lot in the 800 block of 28th Street sometime during the night. The car was located 3 days later parked in the lot at a car dealership near State Route 20 and Reservation Road. The car was in running condition, but when the victim arrived she noticed that a Garmin GPS was missing from inside of the car and a cordless drill and a small toolbox were missing from the trunk. The suspect is unknown.
10:19 pm. A 16-year-old Anacortes boy was referred to juvenile court on theft and minor in possession charges after he was caught shoplifting at a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th Street. A store employee had seen the man place beverage items into a grocery bag and then attempt to leave without paying. The boy admitted to stealing the beverages but could provide no reason for his behavior. The boy also later admitted to being in possession of an unopened bottle of vodka that he had attempted to steal after it was found in the garbage can in the store manager’s office near where the boy had been seated. The boy said that he had placed the bottle of vodka in the garbage can after store employees caught him, but before the police arrived.
Sunday, Oct. 14
5:24 am. A 2002 Yamaha YZ-250 dirt bike was stolen off of a carrier on the back of an SUV that was parked in front of a home in the 1800 block of M Avenue. A small cable lock had been cut to aid in the theft. The victim was upset about the theft and hostile towards the officer taking the report. When asked the value of the motorcycle, the victim said “a million dollars” and wouldn’t provide the actual value.
3:30 pm. Police used store security video to assist in identifying a 33-year-old Mount Vernon man as the suspect in the theft of tools from a hardware business in the 1700 block of Q Avenue. The suspect returned to the business later and employees were also able to get the license number on his vehicle. The suspect was located in his vehicle in a parking lot in the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue and placed under arrest for theft. When the man was searched, police located 2 baggies of suspected methamphetamine in his pocket. The man admitted to stealing the tools, but he claimed that the drugs in his pocket belonged to a female friend. A police drug dog was brought to the scene and indicated the presence of narcotics inside of the suspect vehicle. Police could also see several new tools in plain view in the vehicle. The vehicle was impounded and police obtained a search warrant. During the search of the vehicle, police located several syringes including one that was “loaded” with suspected heroin. Police also found a leaf blower and other tools that investigation revealed had been stolen in a reported burglary to the Avalon golf course. The suspect was booked into jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, theft, and driving with a suspended driver’s license.
Tuesday, Oct. 16
9:51 am. A soft top valued at $800 was stolen off a Jeep Wrangler that was parked at a car dealership in the 12600 block of Thompson Road sometime during the night. There are no suspects.
3:12 pm. A La Conner woman reported that she had been followed by an unknown man who had been keeping her under “surveillance.” The woman told police that the man had followed her around inside of a grocery store but that he did not appear to be buying anything while continually looking at her. The man followed the woman out to the store parking lot and then drove directly behind her car for several blocks even though the woman made several route changes in an attempt to lose him. The woman said that she finally turned into the police department at which time the man drove off. The man was reported to be driving an older black pickup in “worn” condition. He was described as being an unkempt white male in his mid 40’s with bushy strawberry blonde hair and slightly overweight. The woman was advised to call 911 if she saw the man or his vehicle following her again.
3:17 pm. The “mid-housing” of a Mercury Mariner 150-horsepower outboard boat motor was stolen sometime in the past few weeks from an unsecured area of a marine services business in the 900 block of 5th Street. The part was valued at $500.
3:26 pm. Approximately $2,000 worth of tools was stolen from an unlocked tool box in the rear of a truck that was parked overnight at a car dealership in the 12600 block of Thompson Road. The victim is working on providing a complete list of his stolen tools to the police.
Wednesday, Oct. 17
8:28 pm. A backpack containing several personal items, including the victim’s birth certificate and vehicle registration, was stolen out of a car that was parked in the area of the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue. Entry into the car was made through an unsecured door.
Thursday, Oct. 18
5:36 am. A resident of the 800 block of 30th Street reported that someone had smeared several eggs on the side and front of her parked car during the night. Dog feces had also been placed on the victim’s doorstep.
9:41 am. A baby blue colored BMX brand bicycle was stolen from a residence in the 1200 block of 4th Street sometime during a 2-week time period. The victim provided the name of a possible suspect and police are trying to locate the woman to speak with her. The bike was valued at $150.
11:53 am. School staff found a 14-year-old girl smoking in a stall in a bathroom at the Middle School after someone reported the smell of smoke. The girl also had in her possession a smoking pipe that smelled of burnt marijuana, cigarettes, and a can that was fashioned into a smoking pipe. The girl admitted that she had previously used the can to smoke marijuana. The girl was referred to juvenile court on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and being a minor in possession of tobacco products.
1:50 pm. Five batteries were stolen from a semi-truck that was parked in the lot at a trucking business in the 300 block of 34th Street. The theft occurred sometime in the previous five days. The batteries were valued at $140 each.
5:14 pm. A 54-year-old Anacortes man was arrested on malicious mischief charges after he allegedly intentionally pushed over and damaged a motorcycle that was parked in the 800 block of Commercial Avenue. A witness had seen the suspect “deliberately” push over the motorcycle and the witness confronted the suspect. The suspect then fled when the witness told him he was calling 911. Police located the suspect at the public library after he had removed some of his clothing and stuffed the items into a briefcase in an effort to alter his appearance the witness had provided. The suspect, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, denied any involvement in the crime even after witnesses positively identified him as the suspect. The suspect was released to his wife and police are awaiting a damage estimate for the motorcycle.
5:35 pm. A 45-year-old woman was arrested on domestic violence assault charges after she allegedly grabbed and squeezed her husband’s thighs during the course of an argument at their home in the 3900 block of W. 12th Street. The man had some visible bruising and redness to his legs. The husband told police that he had been sitting in a chair when his wife became mad at him and grabbed his legs and squeezed. The man also reported that his wife told him that she would “kill” him if he fell asleep that night. The woman denied making any threats and claimed that she had not squeezed her husband’s legs with enough force to cause any marks. The woman was booked into the county jail.
6:21 pm. An employee of a seafood processing business in the 3200 block of T Avenue reported that someone had stolen his wallet from the break room sometime in the previous 2 days. The wallet had been inside of a bag that was left in the break room. The wallet contained the man’s driver’s license, his U.S Immigration issued “green” card, and a small amount of cash.
Friday, Oct. 19
12:37 am. An officer contacted a 16-year-old Anacortes boy after she had seen him stumbling and using the building for support while walking up to the drive-up window at a restaurant in the 1300 block of Commercial Avenue. The officer immediately smelled the strong odor of intoxicants and noticed that the boy’s speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot. The boy became hostile when asked how much he had to drink and he told the officer that she had “no right to bother him.” The boy was placed under arrest for underage drinking and the officer found a baggy of marijuana in his pant pocket when he was searched. The boy was taken to the police station where he continued to be belligerent. He will be referred to juvenile court on charges of being a minor in possession and illegal possession of marijuana. The boy was released to his mother.