A 28-year-old Anacortes man was arrested for public indecency after he was seen urinating on the side of a Commercial Ave. business in full view of several customers. Employees of the business approached the man and asked him to leave. His response was to spit at one of the employees and make some threatening comments. When Officers arrived they took the man in to custody. The intoxicated man was transported to the Police Department and issued a citation with a future court date. Due to jail overcrowding he could not be booked in to jail, and was released.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on this week.
Saturday, Feb. 1
1:08 am. A fight amongst three men near a taxi cab was reported in the 1000 block of 24th Street . Officers arrived and found that two of the men had been leaving a downtown bar in a cab when a third man unexpectedly jumped in and joined them. When they tried to drop the man off at his requested location on 24th Street the intoxicated subject became belligerent and abusive. A physical fight broke out and the 23-year-old Anacortes man was punched and knocked to the ground. No serious injuries were sustained and none of the three men wanted to pursue charges. Officer made sure that everyone went their separate ways without any further problems.
1:34 am. Officers were advised of an accident that had occurred in a parking lot near the 400 block of O Avenue. A parked car had been struck, causing significant damage. A witness reported seeing a white sedan leaving the parking lot after the accident. Officers were initially unable to locate the vehicle, but a report was submitted and further information about a possible suspect vehicle was provided by a Skagit County Deputy. An Anacortes Sergeant was able to get the driver of the suspect vehicle on the phone and he initially claimed that someone else had been driving. Eventually, he admitted that he had been lying and that he was actually the driver of the car and he was at fault in the accident. Charges have been filed for Hit and Run through the Municipal Court
4:11 pm. An alert neighbor noticed a young man trying to break in to the back door of a home on 6th Street. Responding Officers were advised that the young man had a shovel and he was breaking out panels of the rear door of the residence. Officers came in to the back yard of the residence and caught the 16-year-old Anacortes youth with the shovel in his hands near the back door. It was clear that he had been trying to knock out door panels so that he could reach in and open the locked door. The juvenile did not know the homeowner, who was not at home at the time, and had no permission to be in or on the property. He was booked in to Juvenile Detention on charges of Attempted Residential Burglary.
Sunday, Feb. 2
9:45 am. A passerby reported a missing manhole cover in the 3800 block of H Ave. An Officer found that the cover had somehow fallen down into the manhole. The area was coned off until the street department could respond and take care of the problem.
3:58 pm. A homeowner on Creekside Drive called to report an out of control kitchen fire. A nearby Officer arrived before the Fire Department and used a fire extinguisher to douse the fire, saving the residence from further damage. No one was injured and the structure was subsequently inspected by the Fire Department.
7:40 pm. A resident of 17th Street called in a loud music complaint. When Officers arrived they found a group of Seahawks fans playing “We are the Champions” at full volume following the Seahawks’ Superbowl win. The group agreed to turn the music down.
Monday, Feb. 3
10:39 am. Two vehicles that had been involved in a minor fender bender pulled to the side of the road in the 3600 block of Commercial. While they were exchanging information, a third vehicle ran in to them, pushing one vehicle in to another. All three vehicles sustained some damage and two of the drivers went to the hospital to be examined.
1:04 pm. A resident on Q Ave called to report an attempted fraud phone call. A woman claiming to be her granddaughter called and stated that she was in jail and needed bail money quickly. Recognizing this to be a scam, the woman disconnected the call. Anacortes PD regularly receives reports of this type of scam phone call. Don’t fall for it. More information about how to best handle attempted phone scams is available at www.IC3.gov.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
9:07 am. At least two local businesses fell victim to a customer using fraudulent credit cards. The suspect got away with at more than $1,000 worth of merchandise at one store and has since been tied to several other fraud complaints at stores here and other places in the county. The distinctive male suspect had tattoos of eyes on his eyelids. Investigation over the course of the week revealed that the suspect had fled down to Oregon, where he was taken in to custody on other charges by the Beaverton, Ore. PD. Anacortes Detectives are working with Oregon authorities.
9:11 pm. A Commercial Avenue restaurant called 911 to report an intoxicated man who was disturbing other customers by insisting that they arm wrestle with him and was refusing to leave the premises. Officers spoke with the 53-year-old man and found him to be way too intoxicated to safely drive. He was escorted from the premises and given a courtesy ride home.
Wednesday, Feb. 5
12:43 am. An Anacortes PD Sergeant stopped a vehicle for speeding after observing it on RADAR at 44 MPH in a 30 MPH zone on Oakes Ave. The driver exhibited signs of intoxication, but denied that he’d had anything to drink. The Sergeant conducted a DUI investigation and, based upon his observations, placed the 31-year-old driver under arrest. He was transported to the office, where he submitted two breath samples that were one-and-a-half times the legal limit for intoxication. He was issued a citation for DUI and a ticket for Speeding and released to a sober adult. His truck was impounded.
10:03 am. A 35-year-old Anacortes man was being sought by APD in connection with several property crimes investigations. He also had warrants out for his arrest from other crimes. Upon receiving information that he might be at a residence on 26th Street, Officers went there looking for him. While two Officers were at the front door of the residence a third officer noted the suspect trying to crawl out a back window of the home. The suspect was taken in to custody and was subsequently booked in to the Skagit County Jail.
12:18 pm. While traveling on Highway 20 an Officer became aware that the car in front of him was registered to someone with a suspended license and he made a traffic stop. He contacted the woman driving the car and asked if she was the registered owner. She responded that she was actually the registered owner’s sister, but claimed to have no identification with her at all. Suspicious, the Officer returned to his car and used his mobile computer to look at a prior jail photo of the registered owner of the car. He confirmed that the driver of the car was actually the registered owner. When confronted with this information, she admitted her true identity and stated that she knew she should not have been driving. The 30-year-old Anacortes woman was arrested and issued a citation with a court date for Driving with a Suspended License and Making a False Statement to a Public Servant. She was released based upon her promise to appear in court.
Thursday, Feb. 6
12:10 pm. An Anacortes Officer stopped a car on Commercial Avenue after observing the driver driving and talking on a cell phone that was held to his ear. A records check revealed that the driver’s license was suspended and he was required to have an alcohol-sensing ignition interlock in his vehicle, which was not present. He was placed under arrest and issued a citation with a future court date for Driving on a Suspended License and Driving Without an Ignition Interlock. He was also given a ticket for driving while hold a cell phone to his ear. He was released to his employer, who came to the scene and picked him up.
1:43 pm. Another driver was stopped after he was observed talking on his cell phone with it held to his ear in the 1100 block of 12th Street. The 54-year-old Arlington man was found to have a suspended license and no current insurance. He was placed under arrest and then issued a criminal citation with a future court date for Driving on a Suspended License as well as a ticket for Driving Without Proof of Liability Insurance.
Friday, Feb. 7
8:05 am. A resident of Fir Crest Court called the Police to report the theft of mail. The investigating Officer was told that the homeowner put a stack of outgoing mail in their mailbox on December 26th. Now, they have discovered that the mail must have been stolen, since several checks and other items have shown up in unexpected places and have been forged. The investigation is ongoing.
9:30 am. An APD Officer was summoned to the High School after a 17-year-old student was found in possession of a bottle of liquor. The student was found to be carrying a bottle of alcohol in his backpack while on the school property. School officials had already contacted the student’s family. The Officer interviewed the student and then left him in the care of the school. Charges have been filed for possession of alcohol by a minor.
12:20 pm. Two horses escaped from their pasture near the intersection of 32nd St and K Ave. Animal Control Officer Nybo as well as on-duty Patrol Officers helped the horse owners get the horses corralled up and back on to their own property.
5:04 pm. The Post Office called and asked for an Officer to respond for an unruly patron. The arriving Officers were directed to a 58-year-old Mount Vernon man who was upset because he believed some mail that he was expecting should have been at the Anacortes Post Office, but could not be found by the Postal Service employees. A records check revealed that the man had a felony warrant out for his arrest for Robbery in the 2nd Degree. There was a $15,000 bail on the warrant. He was taken in to custody and transported to the Skagit County Jail.