A woman called police after being awakened when she heard someone pounding on the front door of her home in the 4000 block of Astrea Place. When police arrived they found a man seated on the front walkway with his face covered by his arms. The man was initially unresponsive to the officer tapping on his shoulder and trying to speak with him. The man finally groaned, looked up, and claimed he was at his own home. The officer then informed him that was not the case as the homeowner had called 911 to report a stranger pounding on the door. The man smelled of intoxicants, had slurred speech, and was obviously highly intoxicated. The officer recognized the man as a 19-year-old Anacortes resident even though someone had used a black colored marker to draw a picture of male genitalia and some crude language on the entire left side of the man’s face. When asked how much had had to drink, the man only answered “enough” and that he would “drink any type of booze.” The man was placed under arrest for underage drinking and a small amount of marijuana was found in his pocket. The man was issued a citation for being a minor in possession and illegal possession of marijuana. The officer drove the man home even though the man called the officer derogatory names and was belligerent.
Here are some other cases Anacortes Police worked on last week.
Saturday, Jan. 12
10:27am. A second burglary in two weeks was reported at a home in the 1800 block of 10th Street after family discovered the home had been “ransacked.” Family members had been attempting to clean out the house for several days, but they discovered that someone had entered the home and opened every drawer and cabinet and thrown the contents onto the floor. Entry into the home was made by forcing in an exterior door. Two exterior sheds on the property had also been entered and it appeared the lock had been cut off one. The family is working on providing a list of any stolen property.
Sunday, Jan. 13
12:30 am. While conducting a bar check, an officer was advised by a man that there was a woman hiding in his pickup in the parking lot because she had warrants for her arrest. The officer then went and checked the pickup and saw a woman lying across the seat. The woman was initially unresponsive when the officer tried to wake her, but she finally groaned and sat up. The 27-year-old woman was obviously highly intoxicated and it was confirmed that she had two warrants for her arrest, including a felony warrant for identity theft. The woman was placed under arrest and seated in a patrol car. Moments later the woman slumped over and she again became unresponsive to verbal stimuli. Paramedics transported the woman to the emergency room where she received treatment for intoxication. Several hours later the woman was deemed fit and she was re-arrested and booked into the county jail on her warrants.
3:54 pm. A Stihl brand chainsaw valued at $200 was stolen was stolen out of a car in a grocery store parking lot in the 900 block of 11th Street while the owner was inside shopping. There was no sign of forced entry into the vehicle.
Monday, Jan. 14
3:58 pm. An officer stopped a car after it turned onto 12th Street for speeding through the school zone on M Avenue. The officer noticed that the windows of the car were fogged and that a strong odor of marijuana emanated from inside. The driver was identified as an 18-year-old Anacortes woman who had watery, droopy, bloodshot eyes. The woman denied having smoked marijuana or that there was any marijuana in the car. The woman exited the car and the officer could smell marijuana on her breath although she continued to deny having used any. The woman displayed symptoms of drug use during an eye test and she was placed under arrest for driving under the influence while pleading to just be “let go.” The woman was taken to the emergency room where she consented to a blood draw after admitting that her ability to drive had been affected by her drug use. She faces charges of DUI after police receive the results of the blood test.
4:12 pm. Police are investigating a burglary that occurred at a triplex unit in the 1500 block of Burrow Court. The victim had arrived home to find the front door had been forced open. Items stolen from the home included a BB pistol that resembled a .45 caliber handgun, approximately $30 in change, and approximately $700 worth of CD’s and DVD’s. Police have spoken with two possible suspects who have both denied any involvement. The matter is under further investigation and no arrests have been made.
5:07 pm. A 46-year-old Anacortes man was charged with shoplifting (theft third degree) after employees of a hardware business in the 1100 block of Commercial Avenue caught him concealing two flashlights in his pocket and then trying to leave without paying. The suspects’ effort to conceal the flashlights was not helped by one of the lights being turned on and shining inside of his pocket. The suspect told the officer that he “had a problem with kleptomania.”
8:34 pm. An employee of a convenience store in the 2400 block of Commercial Avenue reported that an off-duty co-worker was intoxicated at the business and trying to purchase alcohol. The co-worker, a 26-year-old Anacortes man, had reportedly become belligerent when the on-duty clerk refused to sell him alcohol. Police arrived and found the man arguing with the on-duty employee. The man smelled strongly of intoxicants and he said he had consumed a can of “4-Loco.” The man admitted to driving to the store and other witnesses confirmed they saw the man driving when he arrived. The man failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest for drunk driving. At the police station the man answered “yes” when asked if his alcohol consumption affected his ability to drive. He provided breath samples that were three times the legal limit. He was cited for DUI and released to a sober friend.
Tuesday, Jan. 15
8:33 am. A 2012 Toyota Tacoma pickup was stolen from where it was parked overnight at a marina in the 3000 block of Oakes Avenue. The victim still had the keys and there was no broken glass present to indicate any forced entry. The victim did tell police that there had been a “hide a key” hidden on the vehicle, but that he did not believe that anyone would have found it. There are no suspects at this time.
5:36 pm. A 17-year-old Anacortes boy was cited for negligent driving after the Jeep he was driving struck a parked car in the 1300 block of 22nd Street. The boy had swung too wide while turning from M Avenue onto 22nd Street and hit the legally parked Honda. The boy was not injured. A dog that was inside of the parked car was also uninjured.
9:25 pm. A taxi driver reported that an unknown man he had just dropped off in the 2700 block of Commercial Avenue had run off without paying his fare. The driver said that the man handed him what appeared to be a folded $50 bill and then ran off through a nearby alley. The driver discovered that the “$50 bill” was actually a folded advertisement for another local cab company printed to look like money. The fleet-footed suspect was described as being in his 20’s, being unshaven with short dark hair, and wearing dark clothing and a backpack.
11:12 pm. An officer on routine patrol in the area of 22nd and “R” Ave. observed a green 1993 Ford traveling southbound that he recognized from a previous incident as having a cancelled license plate. The officer verified the cancellation information and then stopped the car. The 20-year-old driver and her 25-year-old passenger both had outstanding warrants for their arrest and neither possessed a driver’s license. One of the women had a baggie with some pills on her person as well. A short investigation revealed the pills and other items in the car belonged to a 26-year-old woman from La Conner. Officers contacted that woman who associated the suspects with a third woman who had stayed with her the night before. Officers obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and located extensive clothing, costume jewelry, and personal hygiene items that had been stolen from the La Conner woman. The third woman, a 35-year-old Anacortes resident was subsequently contacted by officers and she admitted to taking some of the items from the La Conner woman’s home and placing them in her boyfriend’s car which she then lent to her friends. None of the women were booked into Skagit County Jail because of overcrowding issues. The 35-year-old women will be charged with possession of stolen property. The other two will be charged with driving on a suspended license, and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
Wednesday, Jan 16
11:38 am. Unknown burglars picked a lock to a door of a detached shop at a home in the 1800 block of 10th Street and stole three oxygen acetylene tanks. The loss was estimated at $150.
Thursday, Jan. 17
11:30 pm. A 41-year-old Anacortes man was stopped for a minor traffic violation near 32nd and “R” Ave. Officers were made aware that the man had a no contact order prohibiting him from contacting his 36-year-old wife. After the traffic stop the man drove in the direction of his wife’s residence. An officer observed the man enter the home and contact the wife. She told officers that the man was there. Initially she told officers that he was uninvited but later made a statement to officers that she “kind of” knew he was coming over. Officers contacted the man who resisted arrest. An officer had to apply a taser in order to subdue the man and take him into custody. The no contact order stems from a previous domestic violence arrest. The man was booked into Skagit County Jail for violating a no contact order and resisting arrest.