Early on Monday, Nov. 12, an officer conducting a late night check of a flea market in the 7600 block of State Route 20 due to recent burglaries at the business discovered a broken window on the building and could see items inside that appeared to be thrown on the floor. One of the owners arrived and checked the building with police and they found the business had been vandalized. Several items had been deliberately broken and several items and portions of the building had been damaged by spray paint. Profanity had been spray painted in several locations throughout the building or written by using contractors expanding foam. A fire extinguisher was also discharged in the building. A large jewelry case was found to have been opened. Police are working with the victims to determine a list of damaged and/or stolen items. A police canine team unsuccessfully searched the building and area for the unknown suspect as it was believed the burglary had occurred just prior to the police discovery of the broken window due to discharge from the fire extinguisher still clouding the air.
Here are some other cases Anacortes Police worked on last week.
Friday, Nov. 9
4:42 pm. An employee of a hardware store in the 1700 block of Q Avenue reported that an unknown man had stolen a full propane tank that belonged to the employee. The suspect paid for filling 2 of his own tanks and loaded the tanks into his car. The suspect also grabbed a third full propane tank belonging to the employee before quickly driving away. The suspect was described as a white male, approximately 5’09” and 150 pounds, with a scruffy beard and dark hair. He was wearing a black knit cap with a skull design on the back of it and a camouflage backpack. He was reported to be driving an older beige colored BMW style sedan.
7:04 pm. The mother of a 23-year-old Anacortes woman reported that her daughter was at the Deception Pass Bridge threatening to jump off. The mother then called again and said that her daughter had returned to their home in Anacortes. The daughter told police that she needed help as she was having difficulty dealing with life. The daughter said that she had threatened to jump off the bridge, but that she really didn’t want to hurt herself. The girl had allegedly been making numerous suicidal threats throughout the day. The daughter was taken into protective custody and taken to the emergency room for evaluation and treatment.
8:45 pm. A 41-year-old Anacortes man was booked into jail on charges of domestic violence malicious mischief and assault after he allegedly got into an argument with his wife and mother-in-law and smashed and broke several items inside of his mother-in-law’s home in the 400 block of 35th Street. The man had been at his mother-in-laws house uninvited and began to argue with his estranged wife and demanding an apology from her for something she had previously said. He became enraged when she would not apologize and he smashed a dining room chair to pieces and also smashed several glasses. He also went into the kitchen and knocked several items off the countertops, knocked over the coffee pot, and threw dishes containing food all over the cabinets. He also allegedly pushed both his wife and mother-in-law while trying to grab and take the couple’s children from the home. The man admitted that he had “lost it” and destroyed several items in the home.
Saturday, Nov. 10
2:03 am. Officers responded to a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th Street after employees reported that a suspicious woman who had been asked to leave several times was back in the store. The woman had a rain jacket pulled over her face when an officer approached her in the store, but the officer recognized her as a 23-year-old Anacortes woman who had 3 outstanding warrants for her arrest from previous drug possession charges. The woman immediately began to run from the officer while the officer shouted that she was under arrest. The officer caught the woman near the produce section and managed to pin the woman against a refrigerator as the woman struggled to pull away. The woman was placed into hand cuffs while continuing to resist. During the struggle, the woman’s purse opened and several items fell out including stolen food, suspected heroin, drug paraphernalia, and several checks that were determined to be forged on an account of the woman’s long deceased mother. The woman admitted to being a heroin user and to forging the checks in order to get money to purchase drugs. She was booked into jail on charges of forgery, identity theft, possession of heroin, resisting arrest, theft, possession of drug paraphernalia, and the warrants.
4:56 am. Someone broke into a travel trailer that was parked behind a business in the 2700 block of Commercial Avenue and stole a flat screen television, a portable DVD player, and a vintage yard darts game. A neighbor had been awoken by a noise in the middle of the night and then saw an unknown man walking away from the business. The neighbor then called the business owner who arrived and discovered that his trailer had been burglarized. The loss and damage were estimated at $600.
8:34 pm. Police went to a home in the 2500 block of Oakes Avenue after receiving multiple reports that a 41-year-old woman who had eleven outstanding warrants for her arrest was at the home. The numerous warrants stemmed from multiple drug related and restraining order violation charges. The residents of the house confirmed that the wanted woman was staying at the home, but they claimed that she was not currently there. Police had seen the woman open the front door a short time earlier and then duck back inside when she saw officers outside. Other residents then arrived home and the officers were invited inside to check for the woman. A resident told police that the woman was upstairs and “trying to go out the window.” The wanted woman exited an upstairs bedroom as an officer walked towards her and told her she was under arrest. The woman ran back into the bedroom ignoring commands to stop and leaped head first out of an open window onto a roof that covered the front porch. The woman then attempted to stand on the porch roof, but lost her footing and fell approximately 10 feet to the ground. The woman began to scream about being in pain and paramedics were summoned to the scene. The woman was not handcuffed or restrained due to her potential injuries and she was advised that she was no longer under arrest. The woman was transported to the emergency room and later to Harborview Medical Center for a neck injury. The purse she was holding when she fell contained several syringes, two of which contained suspected heroin, and several items of drug paraphernalia. The woman faces possible new drug and resisting arrest charges.
10:15 pm. A 23-year-old man was booked into jail on 2nd degree assault domestic violence charges after he allegedly hit has father in the head with a wrench during the course of an argument at their home in the 2200 block of H Avenue. The father was holding a blood-soaked towel to his head and had blood on his face, neck, and clothing. The son repeatedly told police that he hit his father with a wrench, but the father claimed that he had fallen down. A wrench with blood on it was found in the home. It was learned that the 2 had been drinking, argued, and then got into a wrestling match after the son had pulled the sergeants chevrons off of his father’s Marine uniform. The father was treated for his injury at the emergency room where he changed his story to say that he didn’t remember being hit by a wrench.
Sunday, Nov. 11
3:08 am. Police contacted a 24-year-old man at a home in the 4700 block of Yorkshire Drive after neighbors complained of people yelling and a revving truck engine. It was learned that the man had a felony Department of Corrections Secretary’s warrant for his arrest. The man was placed under arrest and booked into jail on the warrant.
7:35 am. The antique-style wooden front doors to a restaurant/bakery in the 900 block of Commercial Avenue were forced open destroying the header latch. It appeared that someone had just used brute force to pull open the doors and then had fled upon realizing that employees worked in the bakery throughout the night. Nothing appeared to have been disturbed inside of the restaurant area.
10:07 am. Someone kicked in the front door to a building under renovation in the 900 block of 28th Street. Security video showed a man kicking the door and then entering the building. Nothing appeared to have been taken from the building. Police spoke with a possible suspect, but the man denied any involvement. The matter is under further investigation.
1:55 pm. A red 2009 Yamaha Cruiser motorcycle was stolen from the driveway of a home in the 3000 block of K Avenue during nighttime hours. The victim said that he had all of the keys and the heavy weight of the motorcycle would have required more than one person to push it out of the driveway. The bike was valued at $6,200. A resident of the 800 block of 24th Street later called police to report that a suspicious motorcycle had been left parked outside of her building. The woman did not see anyone around the motorcycle and it was discovered that it was the same one stolen earlier from K Avenue. The motorcycle was missing several parts when it was found including the rear seat, saddle bags, the license plate, and several cosmetic pieces. The suspect is unknown.
Monday, Nov. 12
3:45 am. Officers responded to a burglary alarm in the middle of the night at a business in the 2700 block of Commercial Avenue and discovered the front door to the business had been kicked in. A canine team that was already in the area responded to the scene and cleared the building without finding anyone inside. The business owner had also arrived and it was discovered that a glass display case had been smashed and four pocket watches had been stolen. The loss was estimated at $1,400. Police did speak with a man who was riding a bike in the area who consented to empty his pockets, but no watches were found. The burglary is under further investigation.
12:39 pm. A Novara-brand hybrid bicycle valued at $200 was stolen from outside of a home in the 800 block of 29th Street. The next day a man contacted police regarding finding a bicycle that someone had put in the bed of his pickup while parked at a home in the 1800 block of O Avenue. The found bike matched the stolen bike and the victim was contacted about getting his bike returned. The thief remains unknown.
7:24 pm. Officers responded to a restaurant in the 1700 block of Commercial Avenue after employees reported that a suspicious man who was not a customer had gone into the restroom and locked himself inside. When police arrived, they spoke with 3 young men outside of the restaurant who said that they had chased the suspicious man inside because he had tried to steal one of their bicycles from a nearby home. Police then contacted the man in the bathroom and identified him as a 22-year-old Anacortes area transient. The man admitted that he had been caught in the act of trying to steal a bicycle and that the other men had chased him. The man had a warrant and he was placed under arrest. The other men did not want to pursue charges for the attempted theft of the bike. The man was searched and police found a baggy and a small scale that had suspected heroin residue on them. The jail refused to accept the man on his warrant, so he was released after being given a new citation charging him with possession of drug paraphernalia.
9:11 pm. A 30-year-old Bellingham man was arrested on charges of domestic violence assault after he allegedly argued with his girlfriend at her home in the 1100 block of 24th Street and then grabbed her by the arms and shook and yelled at her. The woman told police that she had held onto a railing outside of her apartment in an attempt to stop the man from dragging her back inside while she was trying to get to a neighbor’s home to call 911. The man fled on foot when police arrived but he was caught after a short foot pursuit. He was booked into the county jail.
Tuesday, Nov. 13
9:53 am. Someone entered a company-owned van parked at the business in the 2900 block of T Avenue and stole a chrome GT BMX single speed cruiser bicycle that was inside. The van had not been locked at the time of the theft. The bike was valued at $500.
10:00 am. A women’s sapphire and diamond ring valued at $1,000 was stolen from a home in the 3900 block of S Avenue during an estate sale that occurred over 3 days in August. The ring had been in a room that was closed off from the estate sale. There were numerous people in the house during the time of the sale, and the suspect is unknown.
Wednesday, Nov. 14
6:41 am. Someone punched a hole in the wall and drew some graffiti in the men’s restroom at the public library. Repair cost was estimated at $50.00.
10:35 am. An Interstate brand marine battery was stolen from outside of a marine related business in the 900 block of 5th Street. The battery weighed approximately 50 pounds and was valued at $100.00.
4:44 pm. Employees of a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th Street reported that a man had just stolen a large amount of meat and fled in a pickup. An officer located the pickup in the 900 block of 22nd Street and saw a man and woman fleeing from the vehicle. Numerous packages of meat were visible in the bed of the pickup. A witness reported that the couple was hiding inside of an adjacent adult care facility. Police brought the couple outside and placed them under arrest. They were both 33-year-old LaConner residents and the woman said that her husband had stolen the meat because they didn’t have the money to pay for it. The husband confirmed the story and said that his wife had helped load the meat into the pickup. Both suspects were issued citations for theft.
9:24 pm. Police were advised that there were 4 unknown people wearing hooded sweatshirts and carrying flashlights walking around outside of a house in the 5400 block of Kingsway. It was then reported that the subjects had left in a vehicle. An officer stopped the vehicle a few blocks away and identified the occupants as age 17- to 20-year-old males. The group said that they had been trying to contact a friend at the house, but that he was unavailable. While speaking with the group, an officer saw a small amount of marijuana on the lap of a 17-year-old Anacortes boy and more marijuana on the back seat. Officers received consent to search the car and they found more marijuana and marijuana smoking pipes under the front seat and two containers of marijuana in the trunk. Investigation revealed that the marijuana and paraphernalia belonged to the boy and a 20-year-old Mount Vernon man in the vehicle. Both the boy and the man were charged with illegal possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The boy was released to his parents.
Thursday, Nov. 15
12:35 pm. A faded red colored 1981 Toyota pickup was stolen from where it was parked behind a home in the 1200 block of 6th Street. The owner reported that the theft occurred sometime in the previous four days. No suspects at this time.
5:43 pm. A resident of a home in the 1400 block of 26th Street reported that he had returned home and discovered that the front door was ajar and that it had been locked when he left earlier. It was then discovered that a Wii game console, controllers, and games were missing from inside of the home as well as a knife. The victim later saw a suspicious man standing in front of the front window of his home. The subject then ran towards a nearby school and his identity is unknown.
6:35 pm. An officer contacted an 18-year-old Anacortes man walking in the 1900 block of 27th Place as he matched the description of a reported prowler earlier in the day in the area of the 1400 block of 26th Street. The man denied being anywhere in the vicinity of the earlier prowler complaint, but he smelled strongly of intoxicants. The man initially denied having been drinking, but he then admitted that he had been drinking beer and smoking marijuana throughout the day. He was placed under arrest and issued a citation for underage drinking and released after he continued to deny any involvement in the prowler/burglary complaint.
10:43 pm. An officer saw a Toyota Corolla pass by him at a high rate of speed and then fail to stop for a stop sign at Old Brook Lane and State Route 20. The officer activated his patrol car’s emergency lights, but the Toyota sped up and tried to elude the officer. The Corolla turned into the parking lot and drove behind the building at a convenience store/restaurant at Sharpe’s Corner. The male driver and a male passenger then bailed out of the car and fled on foot into a wooded area ignoring the officer’s commands to stop. A Skagit County Sheriff’s Office canine unit arrived to track the fleeing men. The dog located a 22-year-old Anacortes man who was determined to be the driver hiding behind some rocks in the woods and he was placed under arrest. The man admitted to driving the car and when asked why he had not stopped for the officer, the man answered that he was “a rebel” and that he “did not want to.” The man smelled of intoxicants, had slurred speech, and bloodshot eyes. A search for the second man was unsuccessful. A small amount of marijuana and a marijuana smoking pipe were in plain view inside of the car and were seized as evidence. The man was taken to the police station where he refused to take a breath test. He was booked into jail on charges of eluding, drunk driving, and illegal possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.