A 38-year-old Anacortes man died Tuesday as a result of a SCUBA diving accident on Saturday, Feb. 24 in Burrows Bay. Police and Fire were summoned at 12:47 PM to Cabana Lane where the man’s diving partners had carried him to the beach and were attempting to resuscitate him. He was airlifted to St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham. Investigators say the man was in the water for about three minutes and did not dive below 15 feet. The Whatcom County medical examiner said Sherlock Hirning Jr. died of a brain injury.
Some of the other police cases, as reported by the Anacortes Police Department, include:
Friday, Feb. 20
An stereo amplifier and speaker valued at over $850 were reported stolen from inside a residence in the 700 block of 41st Pl. sometime after they were delivered on February 11th. The victim reported to police that he had ordered the items off E-Bay and had them shipped to a friend’s address as he is a transient. The victim’s friend confirmed that the items had arrived on February 11th but were not there when he came to claim them on Feb. 20. The victim does not suspect his friend of the theft.
A 19-year-old Anacortes man was arrested for possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia and another was released due to lack of evidence after a Skyline resident reported that two men were smoking marijuana outside his house. Officers responded and located them men who matched the description given by the witness. Both men denied smoking marijuana.
An officer on routine patrol noticed a vehicle parked in a side alley next to a convenience store in the 1100 block of 12th St. at 11:30. The officer was suspicious as the vehicle was occupied and was parked in such away that the store clerk would not be able to see it. The officer decided to contact the occupants. As he approached the vehicle a 19-year-old Anacortes man exited the store with some beer. Believing the man was underage the officer contacted him and the other occupants of the vehicle. The man admitted purchasing the beer and said that he had done so without presenting ID to the clerk. He was cited for minor in possession of alcohol. A 20-year-old passenger in the car was cited for possession of a small amount of marijuana. The store clerk was questioned and will be summoned to Anacortes Municipal Court on charges of furnishing alcohol to minors.
Saturday, Feb. 21
Officers were called to a grocery store in the 900 block of 11th St. to remove some juveniles from the store. Officer’s contacted three Anacortes boys who were eating food from the store before they purchased it. A 15-year-old Anacortes boy was arrested for possession marijuana; a second was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. A third boy paid for the food he had consumed and was released.
A 26-year-old Mount Vernon woman was arrested for DUI after a vehicle she was driving veered into the inside lane of SR 20 just east of Commercial Ave. The arresting officer had just rounded the corner and was in the inside lane when the women’s vehicle veered into his lane of travel. He stopped the vehicle and observed the woman had slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. The woman failed field sobriety tests and was arrested for DUI.
Officers were summoned to a residence in the 3400 block of W 3rd on a domestic call. A 59-year-old Anacortes man was arrested for Assault 4th DV after his girlfriend reported he had assaulted her. The woman had called on a cell phone and told officers she was hiding outside as she feared for her safety. She had obvious injuries and the suspect who was contacted in the residence had blood on his arms and hands consistent with striking the victim.
Sunday, Feb. 22
A resident in the 8000 block of SR 20 returned home shortly after midnight to find their residence broken into and over $2,500 worth of jewelry and electronic items taken. Police are following up on some possible leads.
A 31-year-old Texas man was arrested for DUI following a call to 911 in which witnesses said the man was sitting in an SUV that was parked but running in the 300 block of Commercial Ave. An officer located the vehicle in motion and it pulled off to the shoulder. The driver displayed signs of intoxication, failed field sobriety tests, was arrested and transported to the station for a BAC.
A 23-year-old Anacortes woman was arrested for DUI after an officer noticed some suspicious activity involving the car she was driving. The officer noticed the car in the area of 24th and Commercial. The vehicle stopped in the roadway and two people exited and went opposite directions. One went toward a business that was closed and the other walked out of sight. A short time later the vehicle pulled into another closed business on 23rd St. The officer contacted the driver to ask what they were doing. The driver displayed obvious signs of intoxication and failed physical sobriety tests. She was arrested and transported to the station for a BAC.
A 50-year-old Anacortes woman was arrested after officers responded to a domestic call in the 1200 block of B Ave. The woman had left prior to officers arrival but her boyfriend told police she had broke numerous items in their home before leaving in the couples pick up. Officers located the woman a short distance away. She gave a different account of events but did admit to striking the man in the mouth causing his lip to swell and bleed. She was arrested for assault 4th DVPA and transported to jail.
Monday, Feb. 23
A business in the 2300 block of Commercial Ave reported they had received a bad check from a customer for $404 in January. Officers discovered the 27-year-old Burlington woman was already being investigated for writing over $4,000 worth of bad checks in Burlington. This offense was added to that case and the woman may be charged with felony unlawful issuance of bank checks.
Wednesday, Feb. 25
A resident in the 1100 block of 27th Ct. awoke to find her unlocked car had been entered over night and some CDs and her MP3 player were taken.
A Hope Island woman was southbound on Commercial Avenue turning onto SR 20 from the right hand lane when a vehicle traveling in the left lane failed to also turn left and struck her car causing over $1500 in damage. The suspect vehicle did not stop but a witness was able to obtain the license number that showed the owner to be from Lynnwood. Contact with the other driver and possible hit and run charges are pending.
A leaf blower valued at $90 and two full five gallon gas cans were reported stolen in the past few days from a maintenance shed at a resort in the 4700 block of Fidalgo Bay Road.
An officer contacted a 21-year-old Mount Vernon man near the high school after recognizing him as a man involved in a previously reported altercation the officer was investigating. The man was taken into custody on a warrant out of Mount Vernon for a previous MIP. During a search of the man the officer located a film canister that smelled of marijuana. The man admitted he had used the canister to store marijuana previously. The man was booked and released on the warrant and later issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia.
Thursday, Feb. 26
A woman reported that she believed her ex-boyfriend had forced open the front door to her apartment in the 800 block of 29th Street. The woman reported that a neighbor had witnessed her ex enter the apartment a couple of days earlier, but had just told her about it. The woman said that there was no damage inside of the apartment and nothing appeared to be missing. The woman said that she just wanted the incident documented, but she was advised to seek a restraining order.
A woman reported the theft of $20 and her debit card from inside of her purse which had been left in the kitchen at her home in the 2000 block of K Avenue. The woman said that she was still in possession of the debit card, but that it had been fraudulently used to withdraw additional money. She believed that the card had been taken, used, and then returned to her wallet. The matter is under investigation.
An elderly man reported that there was a “monster” running around in Anacortes and that it could “jump eight feet.” After looking at footprints of the alleged monster, it was determined that it was probably a deer.
A resident of the 2000 block of K Avenue reported having “crazy squirrels” on his property. It was unknown what behavior the squirrels were involved in and the man was referred to the animal control officer for later contact.
Friday, Feb. 27
A Hope Island woman reported that she had parked her car for a brief period of time in the 1300 block of 22nd Street and that when she retuned she discovered scrape marks along the driver’s side and a trim piece was missing. The offending vehicle is unknown and the damage was estimated at $750.
A resident of the 2300 block of 29th Street reported the theft of a computer hard drive and other components from his computer that totaled approximately $1500. The victim said that he had just discovered the theft but that it probably occurred a few months ago when his daughter and her husband had been staying at his house. The victim said that he had kicked them out of his house and that they were believed to be living out of state. The victim just wanted the incident documented.