Police had to chase down a theft suspect to recover a stolen purse.
On the evening of the 23rd, APD Officers solved a theft case stemming from a local grocery store. Officers were made aware of the theft by the theft victim’s husband, who called stating that his wife accidentally left her purse in a shopping cart return and when she returned to retrieve the purse a short time later, it was gone. Video surveillance from the store revealed that a woman, later determined to be familiar to police, removed the purse, got into an older model coupe also familiar to police, and left the area. Officers located the car on 8th Street and got into a short foot pursuit with the female suspect. After the 34-year-old suspect was arrested, she told officers where the purse and its contents were located, so officers found all of the items and returned them to their rightful owner. The suspect also admitted that she used a debit card in the purse to withdraw funds, and contacted at least two additional people who had part of the money she withdrew. Officers were ultimately able to recover all of the purse contents and cash and return them to the owner. The woman now faces possible felony theft and obstructing charges.
Here are some other cases APD reported this week.
Saturday, August 22, 2020
An APD Officer went to the marina on Q Avenue per the report of a possible boat fire. The smoke was not caused by fire, but by internal combustion engines that power the boat.
Sunday, August 23, 2020
A local grocer called police on the morning of the 23rd because there was an adult male who appeared to be intoxicated and was acting strangely. The responding officer responded to the store parking lot and spoke with a man matching the description provided. The 60-year-old male was frustrated because the GMC keys he had in his hand weren’t opening the door to the Honda he was standing by. The officer ran the registration of the Honda and determined that it did not belong to the man. The 60-year-old was banner from the store and given a courtesy ride to another location in town.
Just after 9AM, a man called police to report that he discovered that the door to a downtown business was unlocked but there was no one inside. The responding officer arrived just as the owner pulled up and was told that the previous night’s worker must have left the door unlocked. There did not appear to be anything missing or damaged in the store.
A Georgia Place resident called police midday on the 23rd to report hearing gunshots in the area of the Guemes Ferry Terminal. Police did not receive any additional reports and nothing unusual was observed when an officer passed through the area.
A local grocer called police just before noon on the 23rd to report that a man who was banned from the store earlier in the day was back in the parking lot pulling on vehicle door handles and attempting to unlock the doors with the keys in his hands. Officers responded and discovered that the 60-year-old was at a nearby business. He was taken into custody for trespassing and later given a courtesy ride to a location in city limits.
Just after 5PM on the 23rd, a woman called police to report a possible theft attempt. The woman told the responding officer that while she was sitting in her pickup on Commercial Avenue, a man rummaged through the bed of her truck which also happened to be where she stored her paddleboards. Officers located the man and spoke with him about the incident. He said he was just inspecting the paddleboards to see what material they were made from, but did not steal anything and did not intend to do so.
Monday, August 24, 2020
A local woman called police to report an ongoing issue of political sign theft from the corner of Sunset Avenue and Anaco Beach Road. There was no suspect information available.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
A Summit Park Road resident called police early morning on the 25th to report that sometime overnight, $200 in tools and keys were stolen from the unlocked pickup parked in his driveway. There are no suspects.
An unlocked SUV was prowled sometime between 6 and 11:30PM on the 24th, per the vehicle owner. The victim told police that his wallet containing a debit card and cash was stolen in the incident. There are no suspects.
An APD Officer on patrol on Q Avenue made social contact with two people in a vehicle near the intersection of 21st Street. One of the people in the car was a 31-year-old woman and a routine check of her record revealed that she had a warrant for theft and possession of a controlled substance. She was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Skagit County Community Justice Center where she was booked on her warrants.
Wednesday, August 26, 2020
An APD Officer on patrol on South Marches Point Road observed a van parked in a private parking lot and pulled in behind the van to investigate. It was just after midnight on the morning of the 25th. A routine check on the van plates revealed that the registered owner, a 30-year-old Mount Vernon man, had a warrant out of the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office for driving while license suspended. Officers knocked on the door and heard a rustling noise inside. After a brief pause, a man came to the door and officers confirmed that the man they were speaking with was the registered owner of the van. Officers told the man that he was parked on private property and he had an arrest warrant so they needed to speak with them. The man tried to close the door on the officers. Instead, officers took the man into custody while he became verbally aggressive with them. While he was transported to APD, the man continued with derogatory remarks towards officers and was uncooperative with them when placed in a holding cell. The suspect was ultimately booked in the Skagit County Community Justice Center on his warrant and an additional charge for obstructing.
A 2019 tan colored Specialized Stumpjumper full suspension mountain bike was stolen from 22nd Street sometime between 11PM on the 25th and 7:30AM on the 26th. The bike was forcibly removed from a bike rack attached to a vehicle parked outside. Anyone with information on the theft is asked to call the non-emergency dispatch line at (360) 428-3211 reference APD case #20-A05601.
An APD Officer on patrol on Commercial Avenue was approached by a BMW driver just after 9PM on Wednesday. The driver said their car was hit by a pickup and they provided information on the suspect vehicle. Several minutes later, the investigating officer was contacted by a Swinomish Tribal Police Corporal who had a pickup matching the description of the suspect vehicle pulled over near the twin bridges. The officer responded to the area to speak with the pickup driver, a 33-year-old man from Mount Vernon. The man admitted that he exchanged words with the BMW occupants, but did not think his pickup hit their car. There was paint transfer on the pickup that matched the car so the officer took photos and left the STPD Officers continue their investigation. The pickup driver faces possible charges for hit and run as well as reckless driving.
Friday, August 28, 2020
A 4th Street resident called police on Thursday afternoon to report the theft of her daughter’s new bike from the front yard earlier in the day. On Friday morning, the woman called back with good news and bad news. The good news—the bike was found that morning. The bad news—it was spray-painted a different color.