An officer was dispatched to a report of malicious mischief at about 11:50 a.m. on Saturday, July 2, in the 2900 block of Q Avenue. An anonymous caller reported that someone had spray-painted the words “CHILD MOLESTER” in maroon-colored paint with an arrow pointed toward an address on that street. The officer checked the location and spoke to a person who lives nearby, who advised that it may have been a 35-year-old Anacortes woman in an ongoing feud with the resident in the home pointed out by the spray-painted arrow. The officer contacted this woman, who denied spray-painting or knowing who had done it. Later, the officer received video from a nearby homeowner showing the woman spray-painting the street. The officer re-contacted her, and she appeared to acknowledge the fact that she would be receiving third-degree malicious mischief charges in the mail, as well as harassment charges.
Anacortes Police also investigated these other cases.
Friday, July 1, 2022
A manager at an Anacortes restaurant called to report that a customer had passed a fraudulent $100 bill. The officer responded and noted that the bill did not feel legitimate, and he could not find a watermark or security strip. The officer contacted the customers, who said they did not know the bill was fake, as they had sold some items recently and received the bill as payment. One of the customers said she thought the bill was just old, not fake. The officer encouraged her to be cautious in the future when accepting payment for items from someone she doesn’t know.
A 72-year-old Anacortes man advised that a lot of items had been found near 34th Street and the Tommy Thompson Trail. The responding officer collected a box full of alcohol and miscellaneous items valued at less than $100. The officer properly disposed of them.
Saturday, July 2, 2022
A 73-year-old Anacortes man called at 7:54 p.m. to report that there were people walking around a nearby residence in the 3500 block of Fidalgo Bay Road. Officers contacted a 30-year-old Anacortes man and a 46-year-old Anacortes woman, who advised that they had been pepper-sprayed in Bellingham earlier in the day and were looking for a garden hose to rinse their eyes. The reporting party confirmed that they were rinsing out their eyes, and the two were informed not to drive until their symptoms vanished and to not walk on other people’s property.
Sunday, July 3, 2022
A 91-year-old Anacortes man reported at 1:08 p.m. that his catalytic converted had been stolen from the vehicle parked in his driveway in the 2200 block of 14th Street. A case number was provided for insurance purposes.
An officer was reported to a threatening complaint at 8:57 p.m. at a restaurant in the 2800 block of Commercial Avenue. The reporting party, a 68-year-old Anacortes woman, advised that a driver ahead of her in the drive-through was arguing with staff, and she observed that the driver had made a gun gesture with his hand. She advised that the vehicle left, and she spoke with staff about what had happened. Staff at the restaurant were not interested in talking to the officer about what had happened.
Monday, July 4, 2022
An officer was dispatched at 1:44 p.m. to the 1000 block of 12th Street in Anacortes for a reported catalytic converter theft. A 41-year-old Anacortes woman advised that her husband had picked up their vehicle and then realized that the catalytic converter was missing. A case number was provided for insurance purposes.
On Monday, July 4, Anacortes Police Department officers were dispatched to a reported airplane crash at the Anacortes Airport. Dispatch advised that the home-built kit plane had lost electrical power and crashed into both a building and a car and that the pilot, a 73-year-old Anacortes man, was injured. Officers arrived and observed a single-engine airplane that appeared to have crashed into a car parked on the side of one of the airport’s buildings. The pilot was standing outside the plane and had significant lacerations to his forehead and face. Medics began administering aid, and officers spoke with the reporting party. They learned that the 64-year-old Anacortes man had been at the airport with some friends when they heard a plane start in the vicinity of one of the hangars. About a minute later, he said, the plane sounded like it was at full power, and he observed it coming north on the taxiway, still at full power. He said the pilot attempted to turn west but was not able to negotiate the turn, colliding with a Chevrolet Traverse and a portion of the adjacent building. They turned off the power to the plane and chocked the wheels, and the pilot appeared unconscious for the first five minutes or so after the collision, the reporting party said. The car had extensive damage to its rear left portion and the driver’s side. Port of Anacortes staff advised that the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board had already been notified. The pilot was transported to Island Hospital. His wife arrived on scene and advised that the plane had recently experienced trouble with its throttle cable and that the pilot had been working on it.
A 58-year-old Anacortes woman reported at 4:25 p.m. that what she believed to be a domestic happening in a residence in the 3100 block of Calvin Court after hearing what they thought was slapping or clapping and children saying “No daddy!”. The responding officers thoroughly checked the area and contacted a 43-year-old Anacortes woman, who advised that she and some other adults had slapped a wine bag and that there were no issues. The kids were jumping on a trampoline.
A 57-year-old Anacortes woman reported at 6:04 p.m. that someone had slashed her laundry in the 800 block of Commercial Avenue. The damage to her laundry was caused by the temperature of the dryer being too hot.
Tuesday, July 5, 2022
A 55-year-old Decatur Island woman advised that a window on her and her husband’s SUV had been broken and spare boat parts had been taken in the 2000 block of Skyline Way. She was provided a case number and told to call back if she finds additional damage or items missing.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
An officer was dispatched at 12:33 p.m. to an Anacortes service organization’s building, where the reporting party, a 77-year-old Anacortes man, advised that someone had dumped two mattresses along their fence overnight and that the dumping had been caught on video. The officer was able to contact the man he believed to be the driver based on the truck’s registration. The man got mad and said he felt the officer was being patronizing when he asked the man to pick up the mattresses and that he would check back in a couple of days. The officer said he was not being patronizing, just passing along the information, and the 60-year-old Anacortes man slammed the door. On July 8, the reporting party advised that the mattresses had been picked up.
Thursday, July 7, 2022
Dispatch advised of an alcohol problem at 8:20 p.m. in the area of O Avenue and 4th Street. A severely intoxicated individual was reportedly heading to his car. The responding officers observed a car angled out into the roadway that appeared to have driven into a hatchback in front of it. The officer saw the brake lights flash several times and it began moving forward, driving into the vehicle ahead of it. The officer told the driver to turn the car off and used his emergency lights and siren. The 65-year-old Anacortes man was visibly intoxicated and had injured his face while attempting to drive away. The 65-year-old Anacortes man was placed into custody and cited for DUI hit-and-run of an unattended vehicle.