Police Blotter, November 9 - 17, 2023

On November 9, an Anacortes Police officer was dispatched to contact an Anacortes woman regarding a fraud complaint. She advised that she had received a call from someone claiming to be Publishers Clearing House. The person on the phone stated that they had verified with her the correct card number she used for monthly deposits. She later went to the grocery store and found that there were no funds in her account. The responding officer provided a case number, documented the case and cautioned the reporting party regarding these kinds of scams.

In the second case, an Anacortes woman reported on Nov. 14 that all her money had been taken by “Apple Support.” An officer contacted the woman, and she reported that she needed to contact Apple Support and had Googled the number. She clicked on the phone number and had talked to the person who answered the phone. The man on the phone said her device was infected with a virus and she would need to provide Target gift cards to fix the issue. She made four trips to an Anacortes grocery store and purchased four Target gift cards totaling $910. The man on the phone then requested she make another trip for a $1,000 gift card. She realized it was a scam and hung up the phone. The responding officer provided her with a case number and advised the woman to speak with her bank.

And, here are other cases that Anacortes Police reported on during the week.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Dispatch advised that a woman was reporting new graffiti on the backside of her neighbor’s fence in the 2000 block of Down Jones Way. The responding officer contacted the neighbor, who said he was unaware the graffiti was there. He said he would like to pursue charges if a suspect could be found. The responding officer took photos of the graffiti and contacted the reporting party. The officer later recontacted the neighbor, who stated it would cost about $100 to replace the fence planks.

Friday, November 10, 2023

An Anacortes man contacted dispatch regarding a vehicle prowl that occurred overnight at his residence in the 2500 block of Fircrest Boulevard. The responding officer contacted the man, who said he accidentally left his vehicle unlocked.  He said he received a call from his employer regarding a blocked charge on the company credit card. It was revealed that someone tried to charge $600 to the card, but the charge was ultimately declined. The reporting party then discovered that the card had been stolen, along with a pack of gum and a key. The officer documented the case and collected relevant surveillance footage.

Saturday, November 11, 2023

Officers responded to a motor vehicle accident call in the traffic circle at the intersection of the SR-20 Spur and Commercial Avenue. At the scene, officers observed a Chevrolet S-10 lodged in the vegetation at the top of the raised landscaping with its front bumper dented and resting against the large metal sculpture anchored in the center of the traffic circle. The driver, a 52-year-old Seattle man, said he was not able to stop in time and locked up his truck’s brakes, causing him to skid into the center of the roundabout. He was not injured, and officers did not observe any indications of impairment from drugs or alcohol. Dispatch advised that the man’s driver’s license was suspended, and that he had warrants for hit-and-run and third-degree driving with a suspended license. APD officers placed him under arrest, transported him to the APD and completed book-and-release paperwork for the warrants and charging paperwork for speeding too fast for conditions (related to the roundabout crash) and failure to renew an expired registration.

The reporting party was concerned about a port-a-potty that had fallen over and had blue liquid running out of it in the 2200 block of Skyline Way. Officers tipped it back up and used soil to absorb the blue liquid on the sidewalk.

Sunday, November 12, 2023

There was a report of a man at a bus stop who had pooped adjacent to the bus stop. Officers contacted the man, who initially denied having pooped, despite being covered in poop. He cleaned up the mess in lieu of charges.

Monday, November 13, 2023

An officer was dispatched to contact a man aboard his boat moored in a local marina. The man advised that, at some point, someone had entered his vessel and rifled through the entire vessel, consumed food and beverages, used the facilities and broke a microwave door, a salmon statue and a picture frame. Numerous items had been moved around, though not in a manner that made any sense. Multiple easily pawnable items of significant value were left undisturbed. Someone had likely been seeking to get out of the weather. The officer provided the reporting party with a case number for his records.

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

An officer responded to a missing-person call in which the Sedro-Woolley Police Department was advising that an Anacortes woman was worried about her husband, who had not returned from court. The officer contacted the woman, who stated her husband had court in Mount Vernon earlier in the day and had not returned. She stated he was riding his motorcycle and provided a clothing description. She believed he may have stopped at the Swinomish Casino, and the Swinomish Tribal Police Department later confirmed this. The woman later called back and advised that her husband had returned. The officer heard the man say something about his motorcycle having broken down.

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Dispatch advised of a removal at a store in the 900 block of 11th Street. The reporting party advised that a previously trespassed woman was on the property. Officers confirmed her trespass history and responded to the store. Officers placed her under arrest and took her into custody and charged her with first-degree criminal trespass before releasing her.

Friday, November 17, 2023

An officer was dispatched to a collision in the 2300 block of Skyline Way. The reporting party showed that his vehicle had multiple scrape marks down its entire driver side. He indicated that he had returned to find the car like this. The responding officer photographed the damage and documented it. The reporting party was unsure regarding pursuing charges.