The man had been staying at the witness’s home in Anacortes and she told police on Sunday, May 19, that she had observed several credit cards in a woman’s name in the man’s possession. The man also had a warrant for his arrest out of the Department of Corrections and he was located in the 800 block of Fidalgo Avenue and placed under arrest on the warrant. Police located several credit cards, checks, and a prescription pill bottle inside of a purse in the man’s backpack that were determined to have been stolen from an Anacortes resident. The victim did not know the suspect and it was believed the suspect had stolen the purse from the victim’s vehicle. The suspect claimed that he had “bought” the purse from another man that he refused to name.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on last week.
Friday, May 17
10:11 am. A 13-year-old Fidalgo Island girl was referred to juvenile court on theft charges after she allegedly stole another Middle School student’s iPad from an unattended backpack in the school library. The stolen iPad was recovered. When an officer spoke with the suspect, she showed little respect for the law or school, and refused to accept any responsibility for her actions.
1:59 pm. A 22-year-old Anacortes woman was charged with theft after she allegedly stole a wallet belonging to a man living in the 600 block of Q Avenue. The man had been transported via ambulance to the hospital from his apartment and had given his wallet to the woman prior to leaving with instructions to place it in his bedroom. When the man returned home later, his wallet was missing. The woman was transient and had only been at the man’s home for a night while “couch surfing.” She was seen later by a friend of the victim gambling at a local casino. When police spoke with the woman she denied having stole the wallet.
4:09 pm. A purple and black ten speed bicycle with a black basket attached was stolen out of an open carport at a home in the 500 block of 5th Street. The bike was valued at $150.
Saturday, May 18
12:26 pm. A Fidalgo Island woman reported that she had inadvertently left her wallet inside of a restaurant in the 2800 block of Commercial Avenue and that the wallet was gone when she returned to look for it. Security video was reviewed and it showed a man approach the food counter and then walk away with an object that was believed to be the wallet concealed under a napkin. The man appeared to be in his 50’s with gray hair, a long prominent mustache and chin beard, and wearing a tan vest and hat. The man’s identity is unknown at this time.
5:14 pm. An officer was flagged down in the 1000 block of 18th Street by a woman who said that she had just witnessed her 20-year-old son steal the tip jar from the drive-through lane of a coffee business in the 1700 block of Commercial Avenue. The woman said that she had chased after her son but that he had told her he had dropped the money and jar prior to her catching him. Police arrested the man at his mother’s home later and he admitted to stealing the tip jar. He told officers that he needed the money because he “had a lot of court bills to pay.” A small amount of marijuana was found in the man’s pocket when he was searched. The man also admitted to be addicted to heroin after several items that were commonly used for injecting heroin were found in his backpack. The man was charged with theft, illegal possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The man led police in a search of the path he took after the theft, but the tip jar and money were not found.
Sunday, May 19
3:49 am. Police are investigating the theft of a 12-gauge shotgun that was stolen out of an unoccupied pickup parked in the 2700 block of Commercial Avenue. The gun had been inside of an unlocked truck box. The victim provided the name of a possible suspect and police are seeking to speak with the man about his possible involvement.
9:33 am. An officer contacted a 24-year-old Mount Vernon man who was rifling through a vehicle parked in the 2800 block of T Avenue believing the man was possibly prowling the car. The man claimed that he had recently purchased the car but had not yet transferred it into his name. The man had a confirmed warrant for his arrest out of Whatcom County for suspended driving, but he told the officer that there was nothing the officer could do because the local jail would not take him on an out-of-county warrant. But, the man learned that the officer could do something when he was arrested and transported to the county line where he was turned over to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputy for booking into their jail.
1:30 pm. A 43-year-old Oak Harbor man was arrested near State Route 20 and Christensen Road on a confirmed felony warrant out of the Department of Corrections. He was booked into the county jail.
1:39 pm. A maroon and black colored Specialized brand mountain bike was stolen from an open carport in the 500 block of 4th Street. The bike had a larger “comfort” seat and was valued at $300.
5:07 pm. A 52-year-old Anacortes man was booked into jail on charges of domestic violence assault and malicious mischief after he allegedly shoved his 78-year-old mother and smashed her favorite coffee cup at a home in the 1600 block of 7th Street. The man claimed that his mother had been yelling at him and that he became upset and broke her coffee cup. The man also allegedly grabbed his mother by the shoulders and shoved her out of the bedroom he occupied in her home.
5:09 pm. A 38-year-old Anacortes woman was arrested on outstanding warrants after an officer recognized her standing in the 900 block of 21st Street. The warrants were out of Burlington Municipal Court and stemmed from previous charges of illegal possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The woman was booked into the county jail.
Monday, May 20
8:11 am. A paint sprayer valued at $1,000 was stolen out of a van that was parked and left unlocked behind a home in the 1200 block of 12th Street. There are no suspects.
4:10 pm. An officer recognized a passenger in a vehicle that another officer had stopped for a traffic violation as a 21-year-old Anacortes woman who had two warrants for her arrest from previous theft and underage drinking charges. The woman was placed under arrest and later released after receiving new court dates as the jail would not accept her for booking due to overcrowding.
4:26 pm. A blue and white colored Haro brand bicycle valued at $130 was stolen out of a garage in the 3400 block of F Avenue. It was believed the garage door had been left open during the timeframe of the theft.
5:27 pm. A man returned to his home in the 1000 block of 23rd Street and discovered his house had been burglarized. There were several cabinets standing open and items had been moved from their normal locations. The victim is working on compiling a list of stolen property, but items missing included a shotgun valued at $200, three rifles with a total value of $850, approximately $50.00 in loose change, five men’s watches, and a model of a helicopter valued at $90.00. A safe in the home had also been pried on causing approximately $100 in damage, but access was not gained. The investigation is ongoing.
Tuesday, May 21
10:04 am. A Garmin-brand GPS and two rolls of quarters were stolen from an SUV parked in the 1900 block of O Avenue. The driver’s side window had been broken out with a rock to gain entry. The damage was estimated at $150.
10:32 am. An Anacortes woman received a telephone call from a male who said that he worked for her bank and that there had been fraudulent activity on her credit card. The man then asked a series of questions and the woman provided him with her credit card information. The woman later contacted her bank and learned that the caller had been a fraud and that her account information had been used to make several transactions in Florida. The fraudulent transactions had been made to an online company used to send money to prisoners in correctional facilities. The matter is under further investigation.
9:54 am. The owner of a home in the 1600 block of 6th Street discovered that someone had dug up and stolen two full-sized calla lily plants valued at $25.00 each. Also stolen were a gardening shovel and a rake.
4:21 pm. An officer saw a 42-year-old woman sitting on a porch at a home in the 1000 block of 16th Street and confirmed that the woman had an outstanding $20,000 bail felony warrant from a previous possession of a controlled substance charge. The woman told the officer that she “thought” she had gone to court. She was placed under arrest and booked into jail.
7:22 pm. The Animal Control Officer is following up on a complaint that a pit bull bit a man in the 400 block of Q Avenue. The victim had been walking down some stairs when he saw an older woman walking three or four dogs. One of the dogs then charged at the man and bit him in the left leg tearing the fabric out of his jeans and leaving a bloody bite mark. The victim told police that the woman tried to stop the dog but that she didn’t have enough strength. The woman told police that the dog belonged to her daughter and the incident is under further investigation.
Wednesday, May 22
9:40 am. An unknown thief reached through the open driver’s window of a pickup parked in the alley behind a home in the 500 block of 4th Street and stole the vehicle owner’s cell phone.
10:12 am. A resident of the 1900 block of 9th Street reported two suspicious males had walked around her house and were possibly looking to steal things. Another neighbor also reported the man appeared to be “casing” houses. Officers located the two men in the 600 block of L Avenue and they claimed that they had been looking for work mowing lawns. One of the men, a 19-year-old Anacortes resident, had a warrant for his arrest out of Bellingham for a previous theft complaint. He was placed under arrest on the warrant. He was also charged with a new count of theft after it was determined that a bicycle he had been riding just prior to police contact had been stolen from a home in the 1500 block of 7th Street. The man was turned over to a Bellingham Police officer for booking in the Whatcom County Jail.
1:30 pm. Someone the unlocked side door to a garage in the 1200 block of 6th Street and stole an older Specialized 7-speed bicycle, a box of Chevron motor oil, and a hedge trimmer.
2:59 pm. Police contacted a 14-year-old Oak Harbor boy and a 13-year-old Anacortes boy in the 3100 block of Commercial Avenue after witnesses reported seeing the two boys possibly smoking marijuana in an alley behind a nearby business. When asked what they were doing, the boys answered, “We were smoking pot.” The older boy then handed over an empty deodorant container that contained a small amount of fresh and burnt marijuana. The boy said that he had hid the marijuana in the deodorant container because he “didn’t want anybody to smell it.” The witness also told police that the boys had sprayed themselves with air freshener after using the marijuana. The older boy was referred to juvenile court for illegal possession of marijuana. Both boys were released to their parents.
4:00 pm. The front license plate was stolen off of a car parked in the 600 block of Longview Avenue.
8:26 pm. A red Ace-brand toolbox containing approximately $500 in assorted tools was stolen from the parking lot of a restaurant located in the 3200 block of Commercial Avenue. The victim had been working on his car in the lot and had left the toolbox unattended for about a half hour. There are no suspects at this time.
Thursday, May 23
12:02 am. A 67-year-old man called 911 to request an ambulance after telling the dispatcher that he was “crazy.” The man also purported to be suicidal after allegedly cutting his wrist and attempting to overdose on insulin. The man was transported by paramedics to the hospital after voluntarily asking for a mental health evaluation.
8:49 am. Unknown burglars used a rock to break out a skylight on the roof of a chiropractic business in the 2300 block of Commercial Avenue during nighttime hours. The thieves then dropped inside of the building and stole a laptop computer and two “Activator V” units that are devices used for making spinal adjustments. Each unit was valued at $1,500. The crime is under further investigation.
4:16 pm. A black 24” “Hyperco” bicycle was stolen out of a fenced yard at a home in the 1000 block of 34th Street. There was also a blue colored lock on the bike that was not in use at the time of the theft. The bike was valued at $100.
6:46 pm. Someone pried open all of the exterior storage doors to a motor home parked in the 1200 block of 19th Street. The main door also appeared to be bowed outward, but it not appear that entry had been made inside. Fortunately, nothing appeared to have been stolen.
8:52 pm. A 27-year-old Anacortes woman was arrested on charges of domestic violence assault after she allegedly punched her boyfriend at a home in the 1000 block of 16th Street. The couple had been arguing about the woman allegedly cheating on her boyfriend and the woman reportedly began throwing continuous “windmill” type punches at the man. Some of the punches connected as the man had a red nose and a small cut under his eye. The woman, who appeared to be intoxicated, was booked into jail.
Friday, May 24
5:15 am. Someone threw rock through the window of a vehicle parked in the 1900 block of Island View Place and stole a Garmin brand GPS unit.