A 21-year-old Anacortes woman reported Thursday that she was the victim of a fraud perpetrated on craigslist.com, telling officers that she had seen a car for sale on the site and made some email inquiries with the owner who was alleged to be from Ohio. The woman purchased the car and paid about $2,000 for that car and some transaction fees. She became suspicious when she received an additional request for $1,600 for shipping insurance coverage. When she questioned this through the Internet payment company she had thought she had used, she was advised this was a scam.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on this week.
Sunday, Nov. 3
1:17 am. Police arrested a 22-year-old Anacortes man who was a passenger in a car an officer stopped for a traffic violation in the area of 22nd Street and M Avenue after it was learned the man two warrants for his arrest. The warrants stemmed from previous charges of DUI and theft, and one of the warrants had a three day jail commit. A cut small black tube was found in the man’s pocket when he was searched. The tube had a dark colored sticky residue consistent with heroin usage. The man claimed that he did not know where the tube came from. The man was booked into jail on the warrants and also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.
1:44 pm. An Anacortes woman reported the theft of a silver colored Specialized “Hardrock” mountain bike from outside of her apartment in the 1100 block of 29th Street. The bike was not locked even though it had a security cable and lock wrapped around handlebars ready use. No suspects at this time.
9:51 pm. Police contacted a 15-year-old Anacortes boy walking in the 600 block of O Avenue and took him into custody as he was a signed runaway. As an officer was walking the boy to his patrol car, the boy admitted that he had a bottle of whiskey hidden in his pant leg that was about to fall out. The bottle was removed from the boy and it was also learned that he had two warrants for his arrest from previous charges of being a minor in possession, criminal trespass, and theft. An officer then reviewed video from an Anacortes grocery store that showed the boy concealing the bottle of whiskey and leaving the store. The boy admitted to shoplifting the alcohol. The boy was booked into juvenile detention on the warrants and he was also charged with a new count of MIP and theft.
Monday, Nov. 4
2:29 am. A 25-year-old woman was arrested for violating the terms of a domestic violence protection order after she was found at the home of her husband in the 5600 block of Rosario Way. The order prohibited the woman from being within 1,000 feet of the home. The husband was at the home and he claimed that the court order had been dropped. When advised the order was still in effect, the husband asked the officers to “look the other way” and not arrest his wife. The woman was convinced to come outside and she was placed under arrest. She admitted to being at the house “all night.” She was booked into jail.
4:01 pm. Police received a tip that a 17-year-old La Conner girl who was a signed runaway and had a $25,000 warrant out of Port Angeles for contempt of court was at a home in the 300 block of Haddon Road. A 20-year-old man who lived at the home also had a warrant for his arrest with a ten-day jail commit for resisting arrest. The homeowner allowed police into the home and they found the man in his bedroom and placed him under arrest. The girl was also found in the bedroom and she was taken into custody. The man was booked into the Skagit County jail and the girl was taken to juvenile detention.
Tuesday, Nov. 5
1:21 am. An officer contacted a 19-year-old male transient riding a bicycle at night without a headlight in the 3400 block of Commercial Avenue. The man told the officer he had come to Anacortes to look through dumpsters for food and a place to stay. A records check showed the man had a warrant for his arrest for assault and resisting arrest. When the man was informed he had a warrant, he lunged away and attempted to run. Police then tackled the man into a flower bed. The man was uncooperative while being handcuffed and kept telling officers to “just shoot me.” A small amount of marijuana and two prescription pills were located in a baggy in the man’s backpack. The man was booked into jail on his warrant and a new charge of resisting arrest. Possible drug charges are also pending.
4:06 pm. A Child Protective Services case-worker informed police that her agency had a court order to pick up a one-year-old child from a home in the 2600 block of Shannon Point Road. However, when the CPS worker called the child’s grandmother/guardian and informed her of the pick-up order the 53-year-old grandmother said that she was not willing to turn over the child and that “she wouldn’t be there.” Police went to the house and found no one home. Police then checked other possible locations for the child and grandmother without success. Police later received a tip that there were cars and people back at the Shannon Point Road home and when police arrived they could hear arguing inside. Officers contacted the grandmother at the door and she was obviously intoxicated. She was placed under arrest for custodial interference and her husband yelled that she had only “hid the child to protect her.” The woman told police that she had moved the child to a friend’s house to thwart the court order. Police then located the child at the friend’s house in the 1300 block of Erie Avenue and took her into protective custody. The child was turned over to CPS and the grandmother was booked into jail.
Wednesday, Nov. 6
8:28 am. A 42-year-old Anacortes woman was issued a court summons charging her with assault (4th degree) after she allegedly punched a 22-year-old woman in the face at their home in the 1200 block of 37th Street. The suspect and her husband had been allowed to live in the garage and the victim lived in the main part of the house. The victim told police that she and the suspect had exchanged insults and the exchange escalated to where the suspect punched her in the face with her fist. The victim had visible redness to her face and was holding an ice pack to her eye when she spoke with an officer. The suspect left with her husband in a vehicle and police were unable to locate them.
12:04 pm. A Guemes Island woman reported that she had parked her SUV in the parking lot of a store in the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue and that when she returned to her vehicle she discovered it had been hit and the front bumper pulled off. No note was left on the victim’s vehicle and there are no known witnesses. The damage was estimated at $750.00.
2:30 pm. A Bellingham man who was camping at Washington Park reported that someone had urinated on his tent and sleeping bag and stole $75.00 in cash while he was away from his campsite for about an hour. The man had no suspect information.
2:50 pm. The owner of a business on Christianson Road reported that she had received phone calls from a man claiming to be from the “power company” saying that her bill was due. The caller instructed her to use “Green Dot” cards to make payment. The owner “loaded” the cards with over $800.00, called the man back, and provided him with the card numbers with the intent of paying the bill. The business owner later checked with the power company and learned the money had not been received. The phone numbers the unknown caller used were determined to be from San Diego and New Jersey areas. Police checked with Green Dot and learned the money from the cards had been forwarded to pre-paid credit cards and the owners of the cards were unknown. The business owner said that she wanted the police to be aware in case similar scams were reported.
Thursday, Nov. 7
12:39 am. Officers arrested a 31-year-old Anacortes man for DUI and driving on a suspended license after the vehicle the man was driving crossed 12th St. while traveling NB on “N” Ave. without stopping for the stop sign. The older SUV then traveled far into the SB lane of “N” Ave. before turning on to 9th St. The vehicle then drove over the curb at nth and “M” Ave. and came to a jerky stop on “M” Ave. The driver was trying to stuff French fries in his mouth when the officer contacted him. He told the officers he would not take physical sobriety tests or submit to a blood alcohol test. A tow truck was called for the car and the man was taken to jail.
11:22 am. A 74-year-old Anacortes woman came very close to being another phone scam victim. She reported that she had received a phone call from someone claiming to be a Publishers Clearing House representative advising that she had won a car and $800.00. In order to have the car shipped she would need to pay shipping costs. She was told to buy a cash card and call the representative back with the account numbers on the card. After doing so the woman realized it was a scam and called police. The officer contacted the cash card company and learned the amount had not yet been transferred from the card and the woman would receive a refund. The company representative told the officer that almost always the funds are transferred within seconds and victim’s money is gone. She said this woman was lucky to be getting her money back.
12:30 pm. A woman reported finding two fraudulent charges on her debit card for a little over $100.00 each. One was made in Texas and the other in Tennessee. She was referred to www.ic3.gov to file a report.