On Wednesday, a 46-year-old Anacortes woman called the police after she fell victim to a scam. She reported to the officer that she had recently placed an ad on a social network site indicating that she was seeking employment. She received a reply from a person who offered to pay her for completing assignments as a “mystery shopper.” One of her first assignments was to deposit a check to her account and then redistribute most of that money to other mystery shoppers via Western Union. She received a check for $2,500, which she dutifully deposited. She then followed instructions which had her wire over $2,000 of the money to other people. Later, she found that the original check for $2,500 was no good.
Scammers are constantly trying to find ways to pull people in to scams like this. As a rule, you should never do any sort of financial transaction over the Internet unless you are absolutely sure that the company you’re dealing with is reputable and established. Attempted online and social media scams can always be reported to www.ic3.gov, an FBI clearinghouse for online scam information.
Saturday, March 29
1:05 am. After observing several minor traffic infractions an officer made a traffic stop on a vehicle near the intersection of 32nd Street and Commercial Ave. She noted that the driver’s speech was slurred and there was a strong smell of intoxicants coming from inside the car. The driver was administered a series of roadside sobriety tests, which she failed. She was taken in to custody for DUI and her car was impounded. Once at the office, the driver’s demeanor turned sour and she attempted to kick one of the officers present. She refused to submit any breath test samples and continually screamed and swore at the officers present. She was ultimately booked in to the Skagit County Jail.
2:43 am. A 911 call was received reporting that there was a woman lying on the side of Whistle Lake Road at about 2:45 AM. Responding officers found an intoxicated 22-year-old Anacortes woman in the grass. Other than being intoxicated, she was medically fine. An officer drove her to a relative’s home and she was left in their care.
8:11 am. A husband and wife living on 27th Street got in to an argument and 911 was called. Responding officers spoke with both people and learned that the woman suspected her husband of illegal drug use, which he denied. She attempted to check the pockets of his coat and, in trying to prevent her from checking, he assaulted her. The husband, a 48-year-old Anacortes resident, was taken in to custody for Assault in violation of the Domestic Violence Protection Act. He was handcuffed and searched. The officers did find a broken glass pipe in his pocket, consistent with illegal drug use. The man was booked in to the Skagit County Jail.
Sunday, March 30
12:20 am. A 14-year-old Anacortes resident was booked in to Skagit County Juvenile Detention after she reportedly punched her mother in the face during an argument. Officers responding to the call on 39th Street arrived just after midnight. They observed that the mother had a cut lip and learned that it was the result of her daughter punching her.
5:07 pm. An officer was dispatched to a reported violation of a court order that occurred on 37th Street. He spoke with a woman who told him that she had obtained a court order that prevented contact between herself and a man she used to be in a relationship with. She showed the officer a text message that she had received from the man recently, which she felt was a violation of the court order. A review of the order showed that the text message was, in fact, a violation. The officer subsequently contacted the 30-year-old Anacortes man and he admitted to purposely sending the text message to the woman. The officer issued the man a citation for Violation of a Court Order and advised him to make his court date and to have no further contact with the woman.
6:00 pm. A 911 call was received regarding a vehicle that was reportedly being driven at high speeds and very erratically in the area of Commercial Ave and the roundabout. Officers checked the registration that was given by the caller and located the vehicle parked at a residence in the city. They contacted the driver and spoke with her about the alleged erratic driving, which she denied.
Monday, March 31
2:44 am. An officer stopped a Ford Ranger pickup near 17th Street and M Ave. after noticing that it had no working lights at 2:45 in the morning. The driver stated that he knew the car had electrical issues. He claimed to be in the process of purchasing the vehicle, but he could not produce a registration, bill of sale or notice of transfer for the truck. A records check showed that his license was suspended for unpaid tickets. He was arrested and issued a citation for driving on a suspended license.
8:10 am. Just after 8:00 AM officers were summoned to the Island Hospital Emergency Room to help with a patient that had become combative. They found that a 41-year-old man had kicked a glass door several times, causing the glass to shatter. Upon the arrival of the officers the man calmed down and eventually his treatment was able to be continued by the medical staff. The patient faces charges for Malicious Mischief for the willful damage that he did to hospital property.
9:00 am. A 21-year-old Anacortes man called to report that he felt that his 60-year-old father had stolen his cell phone. He claimed to have stayed overnight on his father’s boat in the Cap Sante Marina and awakened to find his iPhone missing. The matter is still under investigation, as it turns out that other people had also been on the boat, and any one of them could have taken the phone.
Tuesday, April 1
112:06 pm. An officer ended up speaking with two drivers after one of the called 911 to report a road rage incident. Investigation revealed that at one point, one driver had come back and tried to open the car door of the other driver. The officer was able to sort things out between the drivers and counseled both of them about behaving in a more civil manner while driving in the future. No charges were filed in the matter.
2:46 pm. Just before 3:00 PM Officers were advised of a plane crash that had just occurred at the Anacortes Airport. Responding officers found a Cessna 172 upside down just off the North end of the runway. The pilot and sole occupant of the plane, an 82-year-old Anacortes resident, was not hurt and was walking around the aircraft when officers arrived. Preliminary investigation revealed that the pilot had landed on the runway from the south, and had been unable to come to a complete stop before rolling off the north end of the strip. The bumpy, grassy area off the end of the runway is where the plane flipped over. A minor fuel leak was contained at the scene by the Anacortes Fire Department. Airport operations were shut down until later in the day, when the plane could be moved. The investigation has been turned over to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Wednesday, April 2
7:27 am. A resident of 37th Street reported that sometime overnight someone siphoned fuel out of his van that was parked in front of his home.
10:00 pm. An officer contacted a driver as she pulled in to a driveway on 16th Street after noting that she was driving with her high beams on. She admitted that she could not get her high beams to turn off and showed the officer that the switch to turn them off was malfunctioning. A routine driver’s check showed that her license was suspended for unpaid tickets. . The officer issued her a citation for driving on a suspended license and warned her not to drive until she reacquired her license.
10:33 pm. A report was received that there might be underaged drinking going on at a residence on 11th Street, where there have been prior underaged drinking parties broken up by the police. Officers spoke with an adult resident at the house, who declined their request to check the property, but stated that nothing illegal was occurring.
Thursday, April 3
1:15 am. Just after 1:00 AM an Anacortes sergeant made a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 3000 blk of Oakes Ave after observing several traffic violations. The driver of the car was a 26-year-old Anacortes woman with slurred speech and other signs consistent with alcohol intoxication. The sergeant conducted a roadside investigation for DUI and then placed the woman under arrest after she did poorly on the field sobriety checks. Her vehicle was impounded and she was transported to the police station. A records check showed she already had a prior DUI conviction on her record, so she was booked in to the Skagit County Jail.
8:50 pm. After developing information that a 22-year-old Anacortes man was wanted on several outstanding warrants, officers went to his residence on Oakes Ave and took him in to custody. The warrants were for failing to appear in court on charges including DUI, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and driving without a valid license. Due to overcrowding, the jail could not accept the man, so he was issued a new court date and released based upon his promise to appear.