A several-year-old Hotpoint brand stove valued at $150 was reported Friday, Sept. 27, stolen from a home in the 1500 block of Seventh St. The stove had disappeared within a few days after the former renters had moved out. The unknown thieves did leave an older stove at the house as a replacement for the stolen one.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on this week.
Friday, Sept. 27
10:14 am. A resident of the 2000 block of I Avenue reported that someone had “shot out” an exterior window on her condominium. The outer pane of the double paned window had a small hole that was consistent with being shot by a pellet or BB. The damage was estimated at $200.
11:27 am. An 88-year-old Anacortes woman was issued a traffic citation for failing to yield the right of way after she pulled out in front of a vehicle that was traveling north on Anaco Beach Road causing a collision. The woman had been on Sterling Drive and neither she nor the driver of the struck vehicle believed the woman had stopped for the stop sign prior to entering Anaco Beach Road. Fortunately no one was injured.
3:50 pm. A “dine and dash” occurred at a restaurant in the 500 block of Commercial Ave. An unknown man had eaten a meal at the restaurant and ordered a child’s meal to go. The man left with the to-go order without paying for either meal. The thief was also a lousy tipper as he only left a dollar for the $30.00 food tab. The suspect was described as a white male in his 40’s wearing white shoes, a black ball cap, and a plaid shirt under a black jacket.
4:18 pm. A resident of the 1000 block of 7th Street reported that an unknown man stole a tomato from his yard and then yelled at the victim and gave him the finger when the victim confronted him. The victim did not want to pursue charges. Police located the tomato thief walking a couple of blocks away and identified him as a 72-year-old Guemes Island man. The man was very confrontational with the officer, but admitted to stealing the tomato. He was counseled and warned about his behavior.
Saturday, Sept. 28
1:16 am. A witness reported seeing a man and woman fighting in the parking lot behind a hotel in the 400 block of Commercial Avenue. Officers spoke with the adult couple who were from eastern Washington and learned that they were staying at the hotel. They had reportedly been arguing about whether they should retire to their room for the night or stay out drinking. The fight had been verbal only and the officers helped make the decision that the couple to retire to their room.
5:56 pm. A 24-year-old Eastsound woman driving on Commercial Avenue failed to stop for the red light at 22nd Street and struck a car driven by an Anacortes man that was traveling on 22nd with the green light. The woman was cited for failure to stop for the red light and driving with a suspended driver’s license.
9:48 pm. Police received two separate reports of a small red car driving “all over the road” and almost hitting the guardrail on SR 20 as it turned on to R Avenue. An officer got behind the car on R Avenue and observed it weaving severely as it repeatedly almost struck the curb. The car was also traveling approximately 20 mph in the 35 mph zone. The car also stopped in the middle of the road when the officer activated his emergency lights before the officer was able to direct the car into a nearby parking lot. The driver was identified as a 54-year-old Anacortes man who smelled strongly of intoxicants, had bloodshot eyes, and appeared very lethargic. The man had difficulty in answering the officer’s questions and answered “no” when asked if he had been drinking. The man had to brace himself against the side of his car to maintain his balance. He refused to perform field sobriety tests but was placed under arrest due to his obvious intoxication. The man was taken to the police station where he was put in phone contact with a lawyer at his request, but after several minutes an officer discovered the man had fallen asleep with the phone in his lap and the attorney no longer on the line. The man refused to take the breath test and he was issued a citation charging him with DUI and his car was impounded. He was later released to his brother.
Sunday, Sept. 29
12:17 am. A 33-year-old Anacortes man was arrested on charges of hit and run and drunk driving after he allegedly backed his van into a parked car in a lot behind a bar in the 400 block of Commercial Avenue. A witness observed the collision and an officer then saw the man driving and stopped him in the 2400 block of Commercial Avenue. The man smelled strongly of intoxicants and was immediately belligerent with the officer. Police had spoken with the man a short time earlier to remove him from a downtown bar after employees had asked him to be removed as he was intoxicated and unruly and he was confrontational at that time. The man was placed under arrest for hit-and-run although he denied being involved in an accident. He performed poorly on a filed sobriety test before refusing to perform any more tests He was then advised that he was also under arrest for DUI. The man continued to be uncooperative during processing and refused to take the breath test. He was booked into jail.
11:00 am. Two 13-year-old Anacortes boys were charged with theft after they were caught shoplifting numerous packages of doughnuts, chocolates, gum, and a “diet” energy drink at a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th Street. The boys admitted to stealing the items because they were “hungry.”
Monday, Sept. 30
2:09 pm. The owner of a home in the 1400 block of Georgia Avenue reported that his house been broken into sometime during the previous hour. The owner returned home and found the back door had been forced open. An unknown amount of jewelry and coins were stolen and the owner is working on compiling a detailed list of the stolen property.
5:05 pm. A homeowner in the 5500 block of Sunset Avenue arrived home and found the front door had been kicked in and the doorframe shattered. The garage door was also found open. The bedrooms had been ransacked with numerous items dumped onto the floor. Two watches and some miscellaneous jewelry were found missing. The owners are also working on compiling a detailed list of the stolen items. No suspects at this time.
7:45 pm. Police responded to a domestic violence complaint at an apartment in the 1100 block of 29th Street in which a 40-year-old man allegedly assaulted his girlfriend. When police arrived, the man had already fled and the woman had a black eye and swelling to her eyelid. The woman said that she and the man had been arguing earlier and the man had called her several vulgar names. The woman said that she reacted by kicking the man in the genitals. The man then punched her in the face with a closed fist which she described as a “straight up punch” that knocked her to the ground. The woman had no idea where the man went after he fled and police were unable to locate him. He was later issued a court summons charging him with domestic violence assault.
Tuesday, Oct. 1
12:02 am. An officer stopped a car in the 1600 block of Commercial Avenue for a minor traffic violation and identified the driver as a 40-year-old Anacortes man. It was then learned that the man had a felony warrant for his arrest out of Skagit County Superior Court for theft of a motor vehicle and forgery. The man was placed under arrest and booked into jail on the warrant although he claimed that the court had made an error by issuing the warrant.
4:40 am. An officer checked on two suspicious people who were taking parts off of a boat in the middle of the night at a flea market parking lot near Sharpe’s Corner. The couple said that they were working on their vessel for the upcoming crab fishing season. One of the subjects was identified as a 37-year-old Anacortes man who had two warrants for his arrest for carrying a concealed pistol without a permit and driving with a suspended license. The traffic warrant was out of Island County District Court and Island County jail advised that they would accept the man for booking. The man was placed under arrest and then turned over to the custody of an Island County Sheriff’s Deputy.
2:56 pm. An Anacortes woman who is employed by the Department of Licensing received a phone call in the middle of the night on her personal cell phone from an unknown man with a “Latino” accent. The caller offered to pay the woman $5,000 if she would provide him with a valid Washington State identification card. The woman was immediately suspicious and began to question the man about how he obtained her name and phone number. The man would not answer her questions and eventually hung up. The woman reported the incident to her boss who then called the police. She has no idea how the caller obtained her information.
4:30 pm. Approximately eight 5’ x 5’ sheets of industrial fiberglass with a total value of approximately $8,000 were stolen from outside of a shop in the 9000 block of Molly Lane. Each sheet reportedly weighed in excess of 250 pounds and the victim believed the thieves would have needed a large truck and most likely a forklift to remove the fiberglass. No suspects at this time.
Wednesday, Oct. 2
6:27 am. A Kenwood car stereo system valued at $200 and a power amplifier valued at $150 were stolen out of a car parked under a carport in the 900 block of 27th Street. The victim said that her car had been locked and it had an alarm system. However, the victim found the passenger door was unlocked when she discovered her car had been prowled. The method of entry into the vehicle is unknown. An officer checked the area on foot for any evidence and discovered another a flatbed truck parked at a business in the 2600 block of Commercial Avenue had also been prowled. Entry into the truck appeared to have been accomplished by opening the passenger wing window. The contents of the truck had been rifled through and some paperwork dumped on the ground, but nothing appeared to be missing. Police spoke with two persons of interest who lived in the area, but the two teenaged brothers denied any involvement.
7:23 am. Police responded to another reported incident at a coffee business in the 800 block of 21st Street in which a man drove slowly through the drive through line with his penis exposed. The vehicle and suspect descriptions matched that of previously reported similar incidents. Based upon the time of day of the occurrences officers believed that the suspect possibly worked in Anacortes. An officer then began checking an industrial area and located the known suspect vehicle parked in a lot for a business in the 300 block of T Avenue. The officer then contacted the owner of the car, a 26-year-old Burlington man, and took him into custody. The man was taken to the police station where after initially denying any involvement he admitted that had exposed himself previously to the coffee baristas and a woman at an Anacortes grocery store. The man was very embarrassed and claimed that he was “going through a rough period” in his life and had just been “thrill seeking.” He was charged with four counts of public indecency and also trespassed from the coffee business and the grocery store.
11:52 am. An Anacortes woman received a phone call from a man claiming to be her grandson who was in jail in Mexico and needed $1,900. The woman recognized the call as a classic scam and hung up on the caller.
6:45 pm. A witness reported seeing some unknown people enter the back of a vacant home that was for sale in the 900 block of 28th Street. Officers found pry marks around the back door and the door slightly ajar. No one was in the home when officers searched, but they did find items that led them to believe someone was possibly squatting in the house. The house is not suitable for living and officers did their best to secure the back door.
Thursday, Oct. 3
1:18 pm. A women’s red Schwinn single speed road bike from the 1970’s was stolen from the front of an apartment in the 800 block of 7th Street during the night. The bike had been locked to a satellite dish. No suspects at this time.
2:09 pm. Officers responded to an apartment in the 2600 block of R Avenue after a man reported that his 21-year-old sister had punched him in the face. Police spoke with the brother who said that he and his sister had been arguing about her being on the Internet all day. The brother then unplugged the Internet cable from the computer and the sister responded by punching him in the mouth. The brother’s lip was split and bleeding. When the brother informed his sister that he was calling the police, she allegedly pulled him down by his hair and began trying to repeatedly punch him in the face and chest. The sister had fled the residence before police arrived and police are seeking to speak with her. She faces possible domestic violence assault charges.
2:49 pm. An 18-year-old Anacortes man and a 16-year-old Anacortes girl were both charged with theft after they were caught shoplifting at a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th Street. An employee of the store had witnessed the teens concealing chicken nuggets, buffalo wings, and two DVD’s and then leave the store without paying. The teens told an officer that they did not have any money to pay for the items.
6:48 pm. A red Schwinn “Paramount” bicycle valued at $500 was stolen from outside of a residence in the 1000 block of 27th Street. The bike had been locked to the railing of a ramp and was stolen sometime in the previous two days.
7:40 pm. A witness reported an intoxicated man had just defecated in the parking lot of a business in the 2800 block of Commercial Avenue and was getting ready to drive away in a Jaguar. An officer saw the vehicle drive out of the parking lot, make two turns without using turn signals, and then travel 5-10 miles per hour in the 25 mph zone on Q Avenue. The officer stopped the car as it turned onto 30th Street and contacted the male driver who was identified as a 76-year-old Anacortes resident. The man smelled strongly of intoxicants and defecation, but he denied using the parking lot as a bathroom. He did say that he had “two martinis” although his speech was slurred to the point of being almost unintelligible. The man had to hold on to his car door to maintain his balance and his pants were unzipped and smeared with feces. The man’s balance was so poor that officers had to hang onto him to keep him from falling over backwards. Not wanting to risk injuring the man, no balance tests were conducted. The man was placed under arrest for drunk driving. He informed officers he takes a large amount of medication and that his doctor told him he shouldn’t drive due to those medications. During processing he provided breath samples that were over twice the legal limit. He was cited for DUI and released to his daughter.