An officer responded on Aug. 1 to a report of damage done to the Anacortes Forest Lands. The reporting party reported that a fellow employee with the Anacortes Parks Department had emailed him after being contacted by a hiker regarding unauthorized trail work in the Forest Lands. The damage includes a newly cleared swath of trail extending about 100 to 120 yards from the trail, including multiple trees cut down, branches torn from trees, grading and filling in the area and more. The investigation continues.
Here are some other incidents that Anacortes Police investigated this week.
Friday, July 28, 2023
Officers responded to a report of a burglary in the 3400 block of Commercial Avenue with a suspect possibly still present. Officers contacted the manager, who said she opened the shades on the lower floor units prior to leaving the previous evening. When she returned, the shades to one of the units were closed and the back window was slightly ajar. She noticed hand and fingerprints on several of the windows along the alley where the suspect(s) had pushed on the windows trying to slide them open. Officers searched the premises and found no one inside. The investigation continues.
An Anacortes woman contacted the APD regarding a fraud in which she had clicked a link in a pop-up. She called the number that appeared on the screen after clicking the pop-up, and the person who answered informed her that hackers had gotten into her computer and that he would assist her in stopping them. She expressed concern about her banking information, and the man on the phone said he would connect her to the bank’s fraud department via a secure line. He forwarded her to a man who said he worked for her bank. The second man said he could help her secure her bank account, but only if she went to her bank, withdrew $20,000 and put it into a Bitcoin account via a machine in Burlington. She said it felt off, but that the man was very convincing. She went to the bank, where the teller asked if she was being scammed, but she did not feel comfortable expressing doubts, as the man on the phone said to keep the line open so he could hear the conversation because “they” were investigating some tellers at local branches. The man called back the next day and said she would need to repeat the process for her other bank accounts. At that point, the reporting party declined, drove to the bank and closed her account. The responding officer helped the woman contact Bitcoin, and the representative on the phone said the receiving account is anonymous and there is no way to track who owns the account. The money is therefore not retrievable. She filed a fraud complaint with Bitcoin.
Officers responded to a malicious mischief complaint in the 2300 block of 18th Street. The reporting party said a drone had shattered her French doors. She explained that she thought the malicious mischief had not been done by a BB gun or rock. One of the responding officers noticed a small hole where the impact likely happened. The officers were unable to determine the cause of the broken French door but provided the reporting party with a case number for her homeowner’s insurance.
Saturday, July 29, 2023
An officer observed an extension cord running from a residence on 4th Street running to a camper parked in the 300 block of N Avenue. Officers have contacted the occupants of the camper in the past about not running extension cords across public sidewalks and alleyways for safety reasons, and the man in the camper has acknowledged this each time. He was out of town, so the woman in the camper was cited for public nuisance.
Sunday, July 30, 2023
A local store cashier reported that someone stole items from the store 10 to 15 minutes prior to the officer’s arrival. He said he was positive who the suspect was, as he used to be friends with him. He advised that the man entered the store with an empty grocery bag and exited with a dozen eggs and some energy drinks, leaving without paying for any of them. The manager of the store advised that they did not want the man trespassed but did want him charged with theft. A citation for third-degree theft was issued via summons.
Monday, July 31, 2023
An Anacortes man contacted dispatch regarding a malicious mischief incident that occurred in the 1600 block of 39thStreet. He said he just got home and discovered that his sliding door was broken. An officer documented the damage.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
An Anacortes man contacted dispatch regarding a motorcycle theft at a residence in the 5200 block of Kingsway. He explained that he and his sister were in the process of clearing out the residence and that he was storing the motorcycle in the garage. He said he checks the residence daily because of past trouble with people entering, and he discovered the motorcycle missing just before he contacted dispatch. The man signed the taken motor vehicle form, and dispatch disseminated an attempt-to-locate with the corresponding information.
Thursday, August 3, 2023
There was a report of a loud generator at the intersection of 5th Street and R Avenue. An officer contacted the owner of the generator, who stated that he lost track of time and subsequently turned it off.