A 29-year-old Oak Harbor man was cited and released for reckless driving last week after an officer stopped his car on Highway 20 for traveling more than 95 miles per hour and tailgating cars in front of it. The driver claimed he was hurrying because his wife was having surgery, but he admitted he was driving recklessly. Another driver stopped at the scene and thanked the officer for stopping the car and said he, too, witnessed the vehicle traveling at near 100 miles per hour and cutting cars off.
Some of the other police cases, as reported by the Anacortes Police Department, include:
Friday, Mar. 13
An Anacortes man reported that his parked car had been struck the length of the passenger side by another vehicle that had backed out of an adjacent parking spot at a business in the 2700 block of Commercial Avenue. The man said that the driver of the other vehicle made eye contact with him, but drove away without contacting him. A witness provided a license number for the running vehicle, but attempts to locate it and/or the driver were unsuccessful.
A woman reported that someone had thrown a full cup of soda onto the second floor balcony of her apartment in the 900 block of 27th Street. The soda made a mess, but caused no permanent damage. The woman reported that she had also been having trash thrown on her balcony since last summer.
Saturday, Mar. 14
A neighbor reported that a light-colored older pickup had driven across the grass of a church in the 3700 block of H Avenue causing tracks and ruts to the lawn. The neighbor said that he could hear the pickup racing around the church but that he was unable to obtain a license number. The damage estimate to the lawn was unknown, but some turf restoration might be necessary.
A 21-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man were contacted by police after a witness reported the couple was yelling at each other as they walked through the area of 27th Court and M Avenue. Both people said that there was nothing wrong and that they were walking home. Both people had been drinking and the man admitted to having drunk “a beer,” and he provided a portable breath test that indicated he had more than one. The man was cited and released for underage drinking. The woman was arrested on two outstanding warrants for previous MIP and drug paraphernalia charges. She was later released after getting new court dates.
Officers responded to a residence in the 1100 block of G Avenue regarding the report of a 20-year-old man throwing rocks at his parent’s home and throwing a rock through the windshield of a car owned by him and his father. It was further learned that the man had been drinking, had argued with his girlfriend earlier at her apartment, and had allegedly bitten and punched his 16-year-old brother when the boy tried to intervene. The girlfriend reported that the man had kicked in the door to her apartment to gain entry after she refused to let him inside, and that he shoved her into a wall causing bruising a knot to form above her eye. The man also allegedly bit his girlfriend during the scuffle. It was also reported that the man had threatened to kill both his girlfriend and his brother. The man was located hiding in an outbuilding on his parent’s property and placed under arrest. He was booked into jail on investigative charges of domestic violence malicious harassment and domestic violence assault.
A passerby observed a broken floor to ceiling plate glass window on a vacant building in the 900 block of Commercial Avenue. The building did not appear to have been entered and officers were working on contacting the owner.
Sunday, Mar. 15
A witness reported seeing an extremely intoxicated man driving away from the downtown area after he had been refused service at a bar. An officer located the described pickup traveling on 12th Street and saw the vehicle cross the fog line and almost go onto the sidewalk. The vehicle then turned and traveled back and forth across the roadway before the officer stopped it near 11th and N Avenue. When the officer approached the driver, the pickup started to roll forward although the driver said he wasn’t moving. The driver was identified as a 25-year-old Pennsylvania man whose license was revoked. The man’s speech was extremely slurred and he was obviously intoxicated although he told the officer he hadn’t been drinking. The man then said that he had four beers and two shots. The man was unsteady on his feet and performed poorly on a field sobriety test. He was placed under arrest for drunk driving. While being taken to the police station, the man yelled and swore at the officer and said that he wasn’t drunk. The man continued to be profane and uncooperative towards the officer even after speaking with an attorney. He refused to provide breath samples and bit off a piece of a form the officer was writing on. The man was booked into jail for DUI.
Residents in the 1200 block of 34th Street reported that they had discovered a hole in a window on their home. An air-soft pellet was located on the ground beneath the hole and it was then believed the window had been shot. The responsible person is unknown at this time.
Officers responded to the report of a fight at a home in the 1900 block of 13th Street. Officers spoke with a 20-year-old man and his girlfriend outside of the house and learned that the man had gotten into an altercation with his 23-year-old brother after the brother had called the man’s girlfriend names. The man had a bloody finger that he said resulted when his brother had tackled him and they rolled down a staircase causing a vase to break and cut his finger. The brother had left the house prior to officer arrival. It was learned that a domestic violence no-contact order was in place that prohibited the brother from having contact with the man or being at the house. The brother was later referred on charges of felony violation of a no-contact order, domestic violence assault, and malicious mischief.
Officers responded to a domestic dispute between a man and woman who had been married for three months. The wife had allegedly gotten mad because she had discovered pictures of other women stored on her husband’s cell phone. It was determined that the disagreement was verbal only and that no crime had occurred.
Monday, Mar. 16
An officer stopped a car for speeding, following too closely, and weaving out of its’ lane of travel in the 2900 block of Commercial Avenue. The driver was identified as a 21-year-old Anacortes woman who the officer observed to have slurred speech and clumsy movements. When the officer asked for her insurance documentation, the driver handed him a stop payment receipt from her bank. The woman told the officer that she had drunk “two beers.” The woman was unsteady on her feet and performed poorly on field sobriety tests. She was placed under arrest fro drunk driving and then told the officer that she had only drunk “four beers.” She was processed for DUI and provided breath samples that were over twice the legal limit. The woman was cited for DUI and released to a sober relative.
The owner of a business in the 2600 block of Commercial Avenue reported that someone had stolen a tow dolly from the business lot sometime during the previous night. The dolly was used to tow cars and was valued at approximately $2600.
A man reported that in the past two weeks several items had been stolen from his residence that was under renovation in the 3500 block of W. 6th Street. The man said that he was missing a laptop computer, a digital camera, an X-Box game system, game controller, and five video games. The loss was estimated at over $800. The man provided possible suspect information and the thefts are under investigation.
Tuesday, Mar. 17
A red colored 21 speed mountain bike was reported stolen from the high school after its owner got a ride home from school from his mother. There are no known suspects at this time.
Employees of a grocery in the 1500 block of Commercial Avenue reported that an unknown heavyset man in his twenties had just stolen two cases of beer and then fled in a red colored “sporty” type car. A search of the area for the man and the car was unsuccessful.
An officer stopped a car for speeding in the 3400 block of Commercial Avenue. The car interior had a strong odor of intoxicants and the car was occupied by several people under 21 years of age. The driver was identified as a 19-year-old Burlington man who said that he had “nothing” to drink although he smelled of intoxicants. The driver performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was arrested for drunk driving. A 17-year-old Anacortes boy and an 18-year-old Anacortes man were passengers in the car and also displayed the effects of drinking alcohol. Both were arrested for underage drinking and later released after being charged with MIP. The driver was taken to the police station and processed for drunk driving. He then admitted he had drunk some beer and he provided breath samples that were over the legal limit for an adult. The driver was cited for DUI and released to a sober adult.
Wednesday, Mar. 18
A 23-year-old Anacortes man was knocked unconscious and suffered a laceration to his head as the result of allegedly being hit in the head with a car wheel rim that was thrown at him by a 27-year-old Anacortes man at an apartment in the 800 block of 30th Street. Witnesses said that the victim owed the suspect money and that the suspect had announced that he was going to throw a tire rim at the other man. The suspect then allegedly threw the tire rim from the top of a stair landing down onto the victim who was at ground level. A friend then transported the victim to the emergency room at which time the police were contacted. Police returned to the apartment where the suspect was taken into custody for investigation of assault. The suspect denied having assaulted anyone. He was booked into jail pending charges.
An 82-year-old man reported his 87-year-old wife of 55 years had slapped him at their residence in the 2100 block of Creekside Circle. The man had a fresh cut on his face when officers arrived and he was looking for his glasses. Officers were able to learn that the woman was upset at her husband for allegedly overfeeding their blind diabetic dog. Sometime during their disagreement, the woman struck the man and in retaliation he sat down across her legs. The man said that his wife then removed his glasses and threw them which left him virtually blind. Officers had been previously been to the residence 17 times in the past two years, and due to the couple’s level of hostility towards each other and their diminishing physical and mental capacities, they were taken to the hospital for mental and physical evaluation. Adult Protective Services was also informed of the incident.
Thursday, Mar. 19
A woman reported that her wallet containing her driver’s license, credit card, and $103 in cash had been stolen from her car. The vehicle had been parked in front of the woman’s house in the 1000 block of 16th Street and had been left unlocked.
Officers are investigating the report that a man displayed a handgun at a married couple in a parking lot in the 900 block of 11th Street. The couple told an officer that they had been driving into Anacortes on the highway and a pickup had been tailgating them aggressively. The pickup later pulled around them and cut them off before both vehicles pulled into the parking lot. The husband then reportedly asked the aggressive driver what his problem was, and the driver then allegedly pulled out a silver colored pistol and shook his head. The husband said that although the other man had not pointed the gun at anyone, he still felt threatened by the man’s actions. The license registration of the offending vehicle returned to a Bellingham man and officer contact with the man is pending.
Friday, Mar. 20
Officers responded to a 911 hang-up call at a house in the 1900 block of Tweed Place. Officers spoke with a man and wife who said that they had been arguing and learned that the wife had called 911, but then changed her mind and hung up. Both parties had been drinking, but both confirmed that the disagreement had been strictly verbal. Officers determined that no crime had been committed and the couple said that there would be no further problems.
A 53-year-old Montana woman was arrested for drunk driving after an officer stopped the car she was driving for improper lane travel after she turned onto Commercial Avenue. The woman had a strong odor of alcohol, had slurred speech, and bloodshot eyes. She admitted that she had been drinking and she performed below standard on field sobriety tests. She was placed under arrest and taken to the police station for processing. The woman refused to provide breath samples and said that she was not concerned about losing her license because it would be an advantage not having to drive her husband around. The woman was cited for DUI and released to a sober friend.