APD officers Saturday (June 14) responded to a theft complaint at the St. Mary’s Fest carnival located at St. Mary’s Catholic Church after a juvenile male snatched a cash box from a table and near a food booth and ran. An officer checking the area for the suspect almost ran him over when he ran out in to the roadway directly across the front of her car. She quickly detained the suspect and he was positively identified by several witnesses. The cash box was recovered, but the approximately $500 that should have been inside was missing. The suspect claimed that he placed the money into a friend’s truck, and that the friend drove from the area. The recovery of the money is still under investigation. The 17-year-old suspect from Sedro-Woolley was booked in to Juvenile Detention and has been charged with theft.
Here are some of the other cases Anacortes Police worked on this week.
Saturday, June 14
8:42 am. A Commercial Avenue business reported receiving a fraudulent phone call from someone claiming to be a representative of Puget Sound Energy. The caller stated that the power to the business would be cut off in the next half hour if someone did not call and take care of the large late payment that was overdue. The employees of the business knew that they were not behind on their payment and recognized this as a scam. Similar calls have been received by businesses throughout the Puget Sound region over the past couple of weeks.
2:30 pm. Officers arrived at a residence on D Ave after receiving a report of a woman who had committed an assault. They learned that a woman had been threatened with a stick and scratched on the face by another woman who lives at the same home. Allegedly, when the victim came in to the house to use the restroom, she was confronted by the other woman, who was highly intoxicated. During the confrontation the suspect threatened to hit the victim with a bamboo stick, and then grabbed her by the face, scratching her in the process. Officers took the 57-year-old suspect in to custody and she was booked in to the county jail on a Domestic Violence, Assault charge.
Sunday, June 15
1:40 am. Checking on local businesses, an officer ran across someone at a local car wash that was washing his vehicle at 1:30 in the morning. Investigation revealed that the man has several warrants out for his arrest, and the jail was willing to accept him. The 42-year-old Bellingham resident was taken in to custody on his outstanding warrants for prior Domestic Violence charges and booked in to jail.
2:41 pm. A resident of Sugarloaf Street called to report that someone had thrown paint on to his driveway overnight. Although the paint was easily washed off, he was concerned because this was the second time that the suspect(s) had done this to his property. He was one of several people on the west side of the city reporting problems with juveniles out late at night painting cars and driveways, or ringing doorbells and running off. No property damage has been done so far, but officers are stepping up patrols in the area to locate the group(s) of kids and bring the behavior to a stop. Charges may be filed if criminal acts are discovered, but the overall emphasis is on preventing a disruption of peace and security in the area.
4:08 pm. An Anacortes PD Sergeant recognized a local resident riding a bicycle in the 900 block of Q Ave. He was aware that the 32-year-old woman had a warrant out for failing to show up in court on a prior charge for Driving with a Suspended License. He contacted her and placed her under arrest. During a subsequent search, she was found to be in possession of some small baggies with drug residue as well as a pipe for smoking drugs. The jail could not accept her due to overcrowding, so she was given a new court date for her warrant charges and also issued a citation for a future court appearance for the crime of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and then released.
4:44 pm. Several people reported a Hit and Run accident that occurred on 12th Street near A Ave. after a red passenger car struck a Volvo and then fled. Witnesses at the scene reported that the suspect vehicle had crossed the center line of the roadway and stuck the victim’s vehicle. Responding officers observed the suspect vehicle and contacted the driver as he parked in the parking lot of a business located on 12th Street near O Ave. The driver, a 43-year-old Anacortes man, was clearly under the influence of something as he spoke with the officers. A series of roadside sobriety checks were conducted, which the suspect failed. Although there were no signs of alcohol impairment, the man was found to be in possession of several different types of prescription pills. He was placed under arrest for DUI and taken to the hospital, after a search warrant was obtained for a sample of his blood. A records check revealed that he had a prior felony conviction for DUI out of the State of Alaska. The driver was booked in to the Skagit County Jail on charges of DUI, Hit and Run – Attended Vehicle and Possession of a Controlled Substance. Fortunately, no one was injured in the accident.
Monday, June 16
7:36 pm. After receiving a report of a family argument, officers responded to an address on Hillcrest Drive. Investigation revealed that the husband and wife at the home had been arguing, and that the husband threw a small bowl down a hallway, causing it to shatter. All parties agreed that it would be better if the couple separated for the night to help things cool off. The 58-year-old man was cited for Malicious Mischief 3rd Degree in violation of the Domestic Violence Protection Act. He was released, and then given a courtesy ride to a local motel, as both parties were intoxicated and he was not able to drive himself.
8:00 pm. An alert officer recognized a passenger in a car driving in Anacortes as a 28-year-old Anacortes man with several warrants out for his arrest. She made a traffic stop on the vehicle on 32nd Street and contacted the man, taking him in to custody. He was booked in to the county jail on his confirmed warrants for Possession of Marijuana, DUI and Driving on a Suspended License. He was also found to have a felony warrant from the Department of Corrections.
Tuesday, June 17
6:17 am. A restaurant on Commercial Ave called to ask that a disruptive subject be removed. They reported that he had been rifling through garbage cans and “making a scene” inside the business. Officer spoke with the 38-year-old man and advised him that he needed to leave. At the request of management, he was issued a Trespass Warning and instructed not to return, or he could be arrested. Once outside the business, officers spent some time speaking with the man to make sure that he was not in need of mental health or other resources. He assured the officers that he was fine, and then left the area on foot.
10:30 am. A caller reported a possible domestic violence situation after observing two people arguing near a truck in the parking area of Washington Park. The calling party also witnessed the man throw something at the truck in frustration. Responding officers spoke with a husband and wife who told them that they had been arguing over the fact that they had made a wrong and ended up in Washington Park instead of the State Ferry Dock, thereby missing their ferry. The man acknowledged that he had thrown his wallet at this truck, out of frustration. Both parties assured the officers that they were not angry at one another, just at the situation. They were given directions to the State Ferry dock and the officers returned to other duties.
2:43 pm. Just before 3:00 PM Swinomish Tribal police officers were advised of a fight in progress near the fireworks stands alongside Highway 20. People reported that knives were involved in the fight and that it was possible that subjects in a white Cadillac were shooting at people in another vehicle. Prior to officers arriving, two vehicles, including the Cadillac, fled the scene and headed west on the highway. Anacortes officers set up on the highway and were able to get both vehicles stopped on R Ave. Due to the nature of the call and the possible involvement of deadly weapons, both vehicles were stopped using high-risk tactics and the subjects were removed from the vehicle at gunpoint. Tribal Officers came to the scene and took over the investigation, as the initial crime was reported in their jurisdiction. Anacortes officers remained at the scene of both traffic stops to assist if needed.
3:50 pm. Washington Park staff members called to advise that they had located a campsite created along one of the trails in Washington Park. An officer responded and checked the site, but the suspect was not there at the time. He assisted the park’s staff in dismantling and removing the illegal campsite.
10:12 pm. During an argument at a Commercial Avenue restaurant the manager of the business pushed and kicked the owner of the business. The two are related, so when police arrived to sort things out, the law mandated a mandatory arrest. Officers took the 54-year-old Anacortes man in to custody and transported him to the county jail, where he was booked for Domestic Violence, Assault.
Wednesday, June 18
10:00 am. Staff at the Anacortes Middle School reported finding some crushed pills in an envelope taped under a student’s desk. The student had already been suspended from school some days earlier, and it was not clear if he was the one that would have taped the envelope where it was found. No positive identification of the pills was made, as they were already ground to powder. They were logged in for destruction. Although charges are not being pursued, the family of the student was notified of the situation.
Thursday, June 19
3:28 pm. At the request of a Juvenile Probation Officer, Anacortes Officers sought out a 14-year-old girl who had failed to comply with the conditions of her juvenile probation. They went to her residence on 39th Street and took the 14 year-old in to custody. Based upon a signed warrant from a judge, she was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center and booked.
3:59 pm. A 911 call was received that reported a verbal argument taking place in the 1400 block of 17th Street. Arriving officers spoke with several people while sorting out the situation. Investigation revealed that two men and a woman had driven down from Blaine and arrived at a friend’s residence on 17th Street. An argument had broken out amongst the three of them, and then had escalated when a neighborhood resident also became involved in the yelling match. Once calm was restored, officers discovered that two of the three people in the car from Blaine had Skagit County warrants. A 39-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman were both arrested and taken to jail. The man that had driven them down from Blaine elected to leave Anacortes and return home. Both people who were arrested have a history of drug-related contacts with police, and there is a history of narcotics arrests made at the residence that they were visiting. The matter is under further investigation.
7:16 pm. A 911 call brought officers to a residence in the 800 blk of 27th Street for a domestic violence call. Investigation revealed that several adults were sharing a house and that one of them, an intoxicated 53-year-old woman, had become angry and lashed out at one of her housemates. The victim had a torn shirt, and a $50 lamp was broken during the melee. The woman was taken in to custody and booked in to the jail on domestic violence charges.
Friday, June 20
6:25 am. Two vehicles collided at the intersection of 17th Street and O Ave and one of them fled the scene. The other driver called 911 and reported that the fleeing vehicle was a white Ford Bronco or something similar and that it would have significant damage to it. Officers began checking the area and about an hour later an officer made a traffic stop on a GMC Jimmy and noted that it had fresh damage that would match the earlier collision. The driver of the suspect vehicle was found to be a 22-year-old Anacortes man with a suspended driver’s license and a requirement that he only operate vehicles that have an Ignition Interlock (which the GMC to did not have). He was also found to have two warrants out for his arrest, one of which was for a prior charge of driving on a suspended license. He admitted that he had been involved in the earlier accident and that he had fled the scene. He was issued new charges of Hit and Run – Attended Vehicle, as well as other driving charges. He was then booked in to the Skagit County Jail.