In the early morning hours on Monday, March 25, an officer attempted to stop a car traveling on State Route 20 for speeding but the car accelerated away from the officer and made an un-signaled turn onto Reservation Road. The fleeing car then passed a truck in a no-passing zone before pulling into a driveway in the 12700 block of Reservation Road. The driver then fled the car on foot and ignored numerous police commands to stop while yelling at the officer to “leave him alone.”
An officer chased the driver on foot around the property while warning the driver that he would be tased if he didn’t stop. The driver ignored the officer and continued to run until he was shot with a taser and fell. The driver ignored commands to stay on the ground and he aggressively struggled with officers before finally being handcuffed. The driver was identified as a 37-year-old Fidalgo Island man who had a suspended driver’s license and he told police that he had fled because he knew his license was suspended. The man smelled of intoxicants and he admitted that he had one “big drink” just prior to the police trying to stop him.
The man told police that he “felt okay to drive because he was an alcoholic.” He provided a portable breath test sample that was significantly over the legal limit. During a search of the man a plastic baggy containing a white powdering substance was located in his pocket. The man told police that the baggy contained “meth” and the powder later field tested positive as methamphetamine. A drug smoking pipe was also found in the man’s pocket. The man was taken to the police station where he refused to take the breath test. He was booked into jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, DUI, and driving with a suspended license.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on last week.
Friday, March 22
5:13 pm. A 25-year-old Anacortes man was booked into jail on charges of attempted motor vehicle theft, malicious mischief in the 2nd degree, and criminal harassment after he allegedly forced entry into a pickup parked in the north basin of Cap Sante Marina and attempted to steal the truck. The truck owner had discovered that the window to his truck had been pried and damaged, and that the ignition was also heavily damaged by being pried in an effort to start the truck. The truck owner also discovered several items that did not belong to him had been left inside of the truck. These items included a jacket, screwdrivers, and an ID card belonging to the suspect.
The victim and his friend told police that they had later been standing near the truck when the suspect (who they did not previously know) approached them and admitted that he had entered and damaged the truck. The suspect then told the victim that he wanted his jacket and ID back and offered the victim “$5,000” to pay for the truck damage. When the suspect was told that the police now had those items he allegedly raised his clenched fists and threatened to physically harm the victim. Police were alerted to the suspect’s location and he was taken into custody. The suspect admitted to attempting to steal the truck, using a screwdriver to break open the ignition, and accidentally leaving his coat and ID in the truck. The man said that he had spent all of his money at a local casino and wanted to steal the truck so he could go to Oregon.
9:02 pm. A 27-year-old Anacortes man was issued a court summons charging him with violating a domestic violence no-contact order after he allegedly contacted his sister by phone at their parent’s house in the 3400 block of M Avenue. The man allegedly told his sister to “stop talking crap” about him or something “bad” would happen to her. The court order prohibited the man from having any contact with his sister. Police were unable to locate the man so he was issued the summons.
Saturday, March 23
12:15 am. An officer observed a car pass his location on Q Avenue and recognized the driver as the same woman he had seen fall against a cyclone fence and then stagger up 4th Street earlier in the night. The car was traveling approximately 15 mph in the 25 mph zone and immediately made a sudden turn onto 6th Street when the driver saw the patrol car. The car then pulled to the curb where the officer made contact with the driver to check her welfare. The driver, a 24-year-old Nevada woman, smelled strongly of intoxicants and admitted that she had “a couple of drinks” earlier. After failing field sobriety tests, the woman was placed under arrest for drunk driving. During processing, the woman said that she had three drinks. She provided breath samples that were significantly over the legal limit and was issued a citation for DUI before being released to a sober friend.
10:35 am. An unknown brand black-colored men’s mountain bike was stolen from where it was parked behind a house in the 1200 block of 32nd Street. The victim provided the name of a possible suspect and the matter is under further investigation.
4:16 pm. A resident of the 3200block of M Avenue reported that someone had stolen a gold necklace and a gold bracelet from a bedroom in the home. The victim told police that he suspected a 32-year-old Stanwood man who had been hired to do work around the house. The victim told police that he had confronted the suspect who denied being involved in the theft. Police also spoke with the suspect who said that he had “no idea” what happened to the jewelry. At this time, there is insufficient evidence to implicate the man in the theft.
4:18 pm. A Tom Tom brand GPS unit was stolen from a vehicle that was parked 4100 block of R Avenue. The theft was believed to be related to a series of vehicle prowls in that part of town the previous week.
Sunday, March 24
9:41 am. An aluminum extension ladder valued at $100 was stolen from a home in the 1100 block of 36th Street. The victim told police that she had been using the ladder as a barricade to keep vehicles from traveling through a side driveway on the property.
11:30 am. Two 17-year-old Mount Vernon boys were arrested and face charges of criminal trespass after police found them inside of a shop and carport at a home in the 3600 block of Fidalgo Bay Road. A neighbor had alerted police to the boys being on the property. The boys told police that they were “homeless” and had just been “playing around” while they had been wandering aimlessly around Anacortes. The boys confirmed that they did not know the property owner or have permission to be at the home. The boys were released to one of the boy’s mother.
Monday, March 25
4:57 pm. A foreign exchange student reported the theft of a bicycle that had been loaned to him. The green colored Specialized brand mountain bike was stolen from outside of a home in the 1300 block of 30th Street. The bike was valued at $350.
10:40 pm. Police responded to a home in the 900 block of 23rd Street as the mother of a 17-year-old girl wanted to report her daughter as a runaway. The girl returned home while police were at the residence, but she smelled strongly of intoxicants and had watery eyes. The girl said that she had been out with friends, but she initially denied drinking. Based upon the officer’s observations though, she was placed under arrest for underage drinking. The girl then admitted that she had “four Locos” and “three beers.” She provided a portable breath test sample that confirmed she had consumed a lot of alcohol. The girl was referred to juvenile court on charges of MIP and released back to her mother.
Tuesday, March 26
9:56 am. An Apple iPad was stolen from the desk of an employee at a business in the 500 block of Commercial Avenue. The victim had inadvertently left the iPad on her desk when she went home from work, and she discovered it missing the next day. Police spoke with a possible suspect who denied any knowledge of the theft. The thief is unknown at this time.
4:22 pm. Police arrested a 24-year-old Anacortes man in the 2200 block of Q Avenue after confirming that he had a felony warrant and two misdemeanor warrants for his arrest. The warrants stemmed from previous charges of theft, reckless driving, and driving with a suspended license. He was booked into the county jail.
11:36 pm. Police responded to a motel in the 1100 block of 6th Street after a Longview resident reported that she had been sexually assaulted by a man whom she recognized as also staying at the motel. The woman said that she had been smoking outside of her room when the man approached her and asked her for a cigarette. When the woman entered her room to retrieve a cigarette, the man allegedly entered the room behind her, closed the door, and forced her onto the bed. The man allegedly forced the woman to perform a sexual act by telling her that he would kill her if she did not cooperate. The woman told police that she believed that the man would have killed her. The 30-year-old suspect was later located at a home in the 4400 block of Oakes Avenue and taken into custody. He was booked into jail on investigative charges of rape in the 2nd degree and felony harassment. The investigation is ongoing.
Wednesday, March 27
2:50 am. Keys and an iPhone were stolen from an unlocked car parked in front of a house in the 1200 block of 4th Street.
1:29 pm. A 16-year-old Anacortes girl was arrested for theft after she was caught shoplifting at a store 900 block of 11th Street. Employees had witnessed the girl concealing make-up and a Red Bull energy drink in her backpack and the exit the store without paying. The girl admitted that she had shoplifted the items and she was referred to juvenile court for theft.
4:10 pm. A boy in his early teens who was home alone at his residence in the 1400 block of 11th Street heard a noise in the laundry room and initially assumed his mother had returned home. When the door opened, the boy saw an unknown woman standing in the laundry room. The stranger then closed the door and held it shut preventing the boy from opening it. When the boy was able to open the door, the stranger had left in an unknown direction. The unknown woman was only described as being around eighteen years old with medium length brown hair. The woman did not say anything to the boy and nothing appeared to be missing from the home.
10:39 pm. A 24-year-old former Anacortes man currently living in Oregon was issued a court summons charging him with violating a domestic violence no-contact order after he allegedly sent his ex-wife text messages. The ex-wife, who lives in Anacortes, said that the man had been texting her repeatedly for the past two months and she showed an officer some of the texts. An officer spoke with the man on the phone and he admitted to sending the texts and that he had done so because he wanted to see his kids. The texts violated the terms of the no-contact order.
10:55 pm. An officer activated her patrol car emergency lights to stop a car in the downtown area after observing it make two turns without using its turn signals. The vehicle failed to stop for approximately two blocks before pulling into a parking lot behind a bar in the 400 block of O Avenue. The officer contacted the driver and noticed that his head swayed from side to side and that he smelled strongly of intoxicants and had slurred speech. There were empty beer cans inside of the car and the man admitted that he had “a few.” The man failed field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest for drunk driving. He provided breath samples that were well over three times the legal limit, but he told the officer that he did not believe his ability to drive had been affected by his alcohol consumption. He was issued a citation for DUI.
Thursday, March 28
10:06 am. An unknown brand mountain bike valued at $250 was stolen off of the porch of a home in the 800 block of 30th Street. The bike had not been locked at the time of the theft.
12:35 pm. A 57-year-old Anacortes woman suffered a possible pelvis injury after the motorcycle she was driving struck a car that was stopped to make a left turn from Oakes Avenue onto Anacopper Road. The woman had over-accelerated after being stopped at the stop sign on Anacopper Road and shot out across the eastbound lane of Oakes Avenue and struck the car. The collision dented the car and broke the driver’s window. The motorcycle was heavily damaged. The woman was an inexperienced motorcycle driver and did not have a motorcycle endorsement. The woman told police that she had been driving a bigger motorcycle that day because she wanted to see what it would be like. She was issued a ticket for not having a motorcycle endorsement.
2:40 pm. A resident of an apartment in the 1200 block of 29th Street returned home to find the front door unlocked after locking the door when she left earlier. The victim then discovered that several items had been tampered with inside of the apartment and others were missing. Items stolen included an iPad, an X-Box 360 system, a laptop computer, and jewelry. Entry into the apartment was believed to have been made through an unlocked window. There are no suspects at this time.