This week’s police blotter includes several reports of theft, including not just food but also alcohol, from local grocery stores.
Saturday, March 21, 2020
An 18-year-old Burlington man was arrested for theft after a local retailer called police to report that he stole a bottle of Jack Daniels. Investigation, including video surveillance of the theft, revealed that the man was responsible for the theft and had a warrant for theft out of Mount Vernon Municipal Court. The suspect was transported to APD and later booked and released on his warrant and given a copy of his trespass notice and citation.
Sunday, March 22, 2020
A 60-year-old Bothell man was given a ticket for following too close and no vehicle insurance early evening on the 22nd for his involvement in a crash on SR 20 near Thompson Road. No one was injured in the incident, however, both vehicles sustained reportable damage.
At approximately 6:30PM on the 22nd, an APD Officer took a call reference a hit-and-run crash that occurred approximately an hour prior at the Sharpes Corner roundabout. The reporting party told police that she was in the roundabout intending to exit towards Oak Harbor when a rental truck failed to yield in front of her and she was unable to avoid a minor collision with the vehicle. The driver of the truck did not immediately pull over, but ultimately pulled over briefly, then took off again. The officer tracked down the 45-year-old Seattle woman who was driving the truck to get her side of the story. She said she pulled in front of the vehicle and pulled over to speak with the other driver, but the conversation was heated and the two drove off before resolving anything. The Seattle driver will receive a ticket in the mail for failure to yield.
A customer at a convenience store on Skyline Way was being rude to staff so the staff member called police. An officer responded to speak with the suspect who was asked to leave by staff after he urinated on the business property. Staff decided to ban the man and he was issued the notice and told not to return for a full year.
Monday, March 23, 2020
Just after 3AM on the 23rd, an APD Corporal on patrol near the ACFL trailheads in the 3700 block of A Avenue noticed an older model pickup parked in the area so he pulled over to investigate. A routine check on the plates revealed that the vehicle was a signed stolen vehicle out of Bellingham. Officers contacted the registered owner of the vehicle and it was turned over to her just before 5AM after it was searched for evidence.
A local 38-year-old man known to police was banned from a local grocer after staff witnessed ongoing rude and derogatory behavior towards staff and customers. An officer was able to locate the suspect based on the clothing description provided and he was issued a notice trespassing him from the store.
A West 3rd Place resident called police to report minor damage to an exterior screen of a detached building on his property. The suspect possibly entered the building, but there was no way to determine who was responsible for the incident.
A local retailer called police on Monday, March 23rd just before 5PM to report that a known customer just reached into their liquor storage area, grabbed a bottle of Crown Royal, and ran outside without paying for the bottle. Officers were unable to locate the 28-year-old suspect at that time, however, a call of an intoxicated male in an apartment on 17th Street led to a visit with him there. The man was holding a 2/3 empty (or 1/3 full, depending how you look at it) bottle of Crown Royal in his hand when officers arrived and he chugged the remainder of the alcohol as he walked towards officers. He admitted that he stole the alcohol, reasoning that he did not have any money. He was taken into custody and cited for theft. He was later transported by ambulance to the hospital due to his level of intoxication.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Officers were dispatched to the 800 block of 34th Street at 3:30AM on the 24th to speak with a man who looked out the window and noticed someone stealing a gas can from his neighbor’s locked garage. The male suspect was described as wearing dark clothes and a baseball cap. When the reporting party saw the suspect, he ran outside and yelled at him and the suspect drove off in a van traveling north on R Avenue. Officers were unable to locate the suspect or suspect vehicle, but did speak with the victim who stated that the suspect caused approximately $30 in damage to access the garage and they stole a $20 can containing bad gas.
A woman called police on the 24th to report that sometime in the morning hours, her car sustained a small scratch on the door, possibly from someone keying it. There are no suspects.
A local 72-year-old man was given a ticket for following too close just after noon on the 24th after he rear-ended a small coupe that had stopped in front of him on Commercial Avenue. The driver told the investigating officer that he was looking at a business he was passing to determine if it was open and by the time he looked forward, it was too late to avoid colliding with the vehicle in front of him. No one was injured.
Thursday, March 26, 2020
On the afternoon of the 26th, an APD Officer on patrol on R Avenue recognized the man driving a vehicle in oncoming traffic and ran a routine driver’s check on him. The check revealed that the 65-year-old had a suspended license, so the officer contacted him as he parked in the area of T Avenue and 28th Street. When asked why he was driving without his license, the man said he was getting it back tomorrow. He was placed under arrest without incident, cited on scene, and released.
A 27-year-old driver admitted to police that she was distracted by her phone while driving northbound on M Avenue. The distraction caused her to drift into the parking lane and strike an unoccupied pickup truck. The woman was not injured, but her car was damaged to the extent that it had to be towed and she was given a ticket for negligent driving.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Late morning on the 27th, an APD Officer was dispatched to a local grocer per the report of a theft incident that had just occurred. Based on the suspect description provided, the officer contacted and detained a woman just outside the store and went inside the business to speak with staff and view video surveillance. The video revealed that the woman stocked her grocery cart, then bagged her groceries while she was in the store, and exited without paying for over $100 worth of grocery and self-care items as well as a few bottles of wine. The 29-year-old was arrested, cited, and released for theft and banned from the store for one year.