Friday, March 29
8:30 am. Officers assisted a Bellingham man in recovering his stolen mountain bike. The man told officers that he had seen his stolen bike on Craigslist and had made arrangements to meet the seller later in the day at the Washington State Ferry dock in Anacortes. Officers confirmed that a report had been taken by Bellingham PD in 2011. The stolen bicycle was an expensive K2 Tirade mountain bike with many custom features that made it easily identifiable. A 19-year-old Orcas Island man arrived on the ferry in possession of the stolen bicycle. He told officers that he had purchased the bike at a pawn shop in Mount Vernon after he had sold them a bike in May of 2012. Pawn records indicated that he did in fact sell a bike at the shop but did not purchase a bike. Officers will forward the information to Bellingham PD for further investigation.
8:13 pm. A 47-year-old Anacortes woman reported her 2-wheeled electric scooter was stolen from in front of a private club in the 1000 block of 7th St. The woman’s purse, containing her debit and credit cards, had been left in the basket of the scooter. She also left the key in the scooter. Officers discovered four attempts had been made to access her bank account using her debit card at local businesses. Officers contacted the businesses and obtained surveillance video of the suspect trying to access the woman’s account at cash machines. The suspect was recognized by Officers as a 30-year-old Anacortes man with whom they are well acquainted from previous cases. On Tuesday an officer spotted the woman’s scooter being driven by another man. That man told Officers that his mother had purchased the scooter from the suspect several days prior. Officers were able to locate the suspect who reportedly admitted to taking the scooter and trying to access the woman’s bank account. He was arrested for theft, identity theft, and several outstanding warrants.
9:49 pm. Officers were summoned to a call of a domestic incident in the 2100 block of 33rd St. Officers reported a 52-year-old Anacortes woman told them that her husband had been spitting in the sink. She said that he struck her with the back of his arm in the mouth, causing her mouth to bleed. Her husband told officers that his wife had pulled his hair in an effort to make him stop spitting in the sink and that he may have inadvertently stuck her in the face. He was arrested for Assault 4th domestic violence and booked into jail.
Saturday, March 30
1:09 am. An officer on routine patrol spotted a burgundy SUV northbound in the 2300 block of Commercial Ave. driving poorly. The SUV was reportedly drifting from fog to center line and then being jerked back toward the center, drifting and jerking again and eventually crossing into the southbound lane of travel. The car turned onto 28th without signaling and using the southbound lane as a turn lane. The officer contacted the 26-year-old driver and observed she had obvious signs of intoxication, including slurred speech and bloodshot, watery eyes. The woman failed field sobriety tests and was taken to the Police Department for a blood alcohol test. She was cited for DUI and released to a sober adult.
4:31 am. A 57-year-old Anacortes man reported that he had received $600 in counterfeit cash as payment for a big screen TV he had sold on Craigslist. The man was able to describe the two individuals who came to purchase the television. From his description, officers believe they know the identity of the two suspects who have committed the same type of fraud in the Mount Vernon and Burlington areas. The victim did not check the cash carefully upon receiving it. On closer examination he discovered it was not cut squarely and did not have the hologram security markers on the bills. The investigation is continuing.
4:00 pm. Officers arrested a 20-year-old Anacortes woman after her 21-year-old husband told officers that she had punched him, threw a jar at him and scratched him. The man left the house to go for a walk and then called 911. Officers contacted the woman at the couple’s home in the 1600 block of 20th Street. Physical evidence at the scene matched what the man had told officers. The woman denied the assault but was arrested and charged with assault in the 4th degree domestic violence.
7:44 pm. Officers were summoned to a report of a man and woman arguing at the Skate Park in the 2300 block of “R” Ave. The couple both told officers that they had lost a cell phone and were having a verbal argument. The woman had an outstanding warrant for a DUI. She was booked into Skagit County Jail.
11:01 pm. Police and firefighters responded to the intersection of Skyline Dr. and Sands Way after a 20-year-old Anacortes man reported he had just injured himself jumping from a moving stolen vehicle. He described the car to officers as an older red pickup and told them his friend “Kyle” was driving. An officer responding to the scene saw the truck and stopped it at 12th and “M” Ave. The driver exited the vehicle and put his hands on the hood of the car. The 27-year-old Anacortes man was taken into custody. The truck had been left unlocked with the keys in it, in the 6000 block of Sandra Court. Items found inside the truck and on the driver were connected to three different vehicle prowls in the area. The suspect was booked into Skagit County Jail for vehicle theft, DUI, and three counts of vehicle prowl.
Sunday, March 31
12:59 pm. A concerned citizen called to report three teenagers were on the roof of the restrooms at Storvik Park sunbathing. The responding officer removed them from the roof and warned them to wear sunscreen.
11:37 pm. Police recovered a stolen truck from Burlington on Sunday night and have in their possession a new Zongshen 150GY motorcycle they believe is also stolen. An officer on routine patrol saw a man park a pickup truck with a motorcycle in it, in front of a closed business on Christenson Rd. The man than began to walk down SR 20 toward Sharpes Corner. The officer contacted the 45-year-old Bellingham man who said he was having car trouble. He was given a ride to the corner where he was supposed to meet a friend. The friend was not at Sharpes Corner but a Nissan Pathfinder that supposedly belonged to the friend was there. When the officer checked on the license plate of the vehicle, he discovered it was stolen several days prior from Burlington. The Bellingham man denied knowledge of the vehicle being stolen and said he was just trying to help a friend by delivering the motorcycle to him. Officers did not have enough information to detain the man but did collect the motorcycle as possible stolen property. The investigation is continuing.
11:48 pm. A 22-year-old Alabama man was arrested for DUI and Hit and Run driving on Sunday night after police received a report that the truck he was driving struck another car while at a tavern in the 900 block of 20th St. The owner of a 2007 Cadillac that was parked at the bar returned to his car to find one side with extensive damage. The tavern has a surveillance system that captured the driver backing too sharply, striking the vehicle and then driving away. Officers easily located the truck at a hotel on the south end of Commercial Ave. and located the driver in his room. He appeared under the influence of intoxicants and was taken to the Police Department for a blood alcohol test. He was cited and given a ride back to the hotel.
Monday, April 1
9:00 am. A resident in the 4800 block of Green Hill Court reported an unauthorized check had been written on his bank account. The man told officers that back on February 25th a magazine salesman from a charity organization came to his door. He did not buy any magazines but did make a cash contribution. He left the room for a few minutes to get some cash, leaving the salesman alone in the living room. His checkbook was also in the living room. When his bank statement showed a check written to the same organization that the man represented in the amount of $181 he became suspicious and realized the check had been taken from his check book. Police phoned the Graceful Hands Charity in East Point, GA and were told that the number in the memo form of the check referenced an ID number for an employee. The company promised to provide that information to police but have not done so yet.
10:45 pm. Neighbors in the 800 block of 32nd St. have complained about on-going suspected drug activity at a home in the neighborhood, and Monday night a neighbor reported a drug deal occurring in front of the house right then. Officers arrived and contacted a group of individuals in and around two cars parked in front of the house. Two men were arrested on outstanding warrants, and a 24-year-old Anacortes man was arrested on investigation of possession of narcotics with intent to deliver. A 25-year-old woman, who lives in the home, was arrested for obstructing the officers as they were investigating the incident.
Tuesday, April 2
1:09 am. Anacortes Police have arrested a 43-year-old Anacortes man for investigation of Attempted Murder 1st degree, 2 counts of Arson 1st, and 2 counts of Burglary in the 2nd degree.
Officers and fire fighters responded to a car fire in the north basin area of Cap Sante Marina shortly after 1AM this morning. A man reported that he had offered to let the suspect sleep in the back of his pickup overnight while he, the truck’s owner, slept in the cab of the truck. He told officers he awoke to the smell of smoke and saw flames coming from the bed of his truck. He saw the suspect watching the fire from a short distance away and called 911. Officers were able to locate the suspect a short time later several blocks away.
The man is also suspected of setting two recent fires in the Anacortes area. The first was at the Pilgrim Congregational Church on February 28th; the second was Friday March 29th at the Salvation Army. Investigators from the Anacortes Police Department, ATF, and the Anacortes Fire Department had been suspicious of the man since he was named as a possible suspect in a residential fire in the 900 block of 25th St. in March of 2012; they believe there is now enough evidence to tie him to all four fires. They describe the man as a “serial arsonist.”
Wednesday, April 3
11:43 pm. A 54-year-old Anacortes man was arrested for DUI after police were notified he had just been released from the hospital and was told not to drive as he had been given some prescription medication that would impair his ability to drive. An officer located the man driving his truck in the area of 30th and “R” Ave. The man pulled the truck to the curb when he saw the police car. The officer reported that the man failed field sobriety tests and displayed obvious signs of intoxication. He was arrested and transported to the Police Department and then back to the hospital for a blood test.
Thursday, April 4
2:31 am. Someone set fire to a nylon cover that contained hurdles at the high school track early Thursday morning. The hurdles and their protective cover were ruined and the replacement cost is estimated at $2,500. A garbage can near the track was also set afire. Police and fire fighters did collect some physical evidence at the track and will be processing it. Police are asking anyone with information about this case to call the APD tip line at 299-1985.
10:53 am. A business in the 1000 block of 7th St. reported that several people had been in the store on Wednesday and made purchases with a counterfeit $100 bills. Officers noted that the description of one of the suspects matched a 39-year-old man who had been identified as passing a counterfeit bill in March at a store in the 1700 block of 12th St. Officers prepared a photo montage and the clerk picked out the man. Officers located the suspect at a home in the 1200 block of 4th St. where he is known to sometimes stay. He was arrested for investigation of forgery.
6:00 pm. A resident in the 4000 block of Oakes Ave. reported that he returned home to discover his home had been entered and over $5,000 worth of entertainment devices, including several large flat screen TVs, had been taken. In addition, golf clubs, a Dyson vacuum, liquor, and some bear figurines were taken. Most disturbing is that the thieves took an urn containing his father’s ashes. The victim provided police with some information on possible suspects. Officers are following up on those leads as well as physical evidence found at the scene.