His name is John Andrew Aamodt, and his family says it’s very usual for him to just leave, according to Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. Detectives don’t suspect foul play.

Young put out the following press release.

John Aamodt was last seen on 6/11/13. He left his Bellingham home sometime between noon and 3:00 p.m. in his gray 1991 Ford F250 WA # B92551L.

He is described as a white male about 5’10” tall, 185 lbs, balding brown hair, brown eyes and always wears a baseball hat.

If you have see John Aamodt, please contact the Bellingham Police Department by calling 911. If you have information concerning John’s location, please call Bellingham Police Detective Darla Wagner @ 360-778-8767. Foul play is not suspected.

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Two men called 911 at 1:25 a.m. May 29, from a house in the 1400 block of E Street. They claimed several masked men — three or four of them, they said — dressed in all black broke into the house with a shotgun, tied them up with zip ties and ransacked the house, according to Lynden police.

The robbers took dried marijuana, electronics, the victims’ wallets and a dehumidifier. They tried to rip full marijuana plants from a grow op in the garage, but ended up leaving them behind. (One of the men had a license to grow medical marijuana.)

That same day, Detective Lee Beld spoke with a person of interest in the case — whom he called a “potential suspect” — but that man’s health suggested, to the detective, he might not be able-bodied enough to carry out a robbery.

Police canvassed the neighborhood. Nobody else heard or saw anything. Evidence from the crime scene, however, corroborates much of the original report, Beld said. Police continue to review surveillance footage from around the city, in hopes of finding a clue that will lead them to the suspects.

Tips can be directed to the Lynden Police Department at 360-354-2828.

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Firefighters arrived to find the 1977 Dodge Delta RV shooting flames 30 feet into the air at 8:04 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, said Whatcom County Fire District 1 Chief Mel Blankers. Ten minutes later the fire had been knocked down, but the motorhome — parked at an otherwise vacant lot on Mission Road — was destroyed.

One woman, Rose Alexandra Hernandez, 22, asked bystanders if the cops were on the way, said Undersheriff Jeff Parks.

“Maybe a girlfriend burned it down because her boyfriend cheated on her,” Hernandez suggested to witnesses, according to a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office report.

As it turned out, the registered owner of the RV had arranged to sell it to Hernandez’ boyfriend, Parks said. (Although, it’s not clear who legally owned it.) Sometime in the recent past, Hernandez lived in the RV.

After further investigation deputies booked Hernandez into jail on suspicion of first-degree domestic violence arson. Initial reports from the sheriff’s office didn’t note how she allegedly started the fire.

Before booking her into jail, deputies found she had a small glass tube with meth reside on it, Parks said. She faces drug possession charges for the residue.

Hernandez made her first appearance in court Thursday. She’s jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail.

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Susan Leann Hawley accepted a plea bargain that would put her behind bars for three years, followed by another three years on probation (an arrangement known as a Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative).

You can read about the burglaries in this story from last month, when Larry David Ricketts agreed to serve 8 years in prison for a dozen counts of home burglary.

Hawley admitted to police that she had been involved in a handful of heists with Ricketts. According to charging documents, she specifically confessed to stealing property from addresses in the 500 block of Whatcom Street, the 1300 block of Puget Street, the 1000 block of Nevada Street and the 2900 block of Ferry Avenue.

Ultimately, she pleaded guilty to three counts of residential burglary and one count of second-degree theft. Restitution for the stolen goods has yet to be determined.

At her sentencing hearing last week, Deputy Prosecutor James Hulbert said he “didn’t need to be persuaded too much that there’s a drug problem here.” Hawley had admitted, in a recent probation report, to using several intoxicants (meth, heroin, alcohol and marijuana) on a daily basis. During her three-year probation, she’s not allowed to use drugs without a prescription.

Hawley had six prior felonies on her record, for forgery, burglary and drug crimes.

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Passersby saw smoke coming from the back corner of a house in the 8600 block of Valley View Road, ran to the door and yelled to see if anyone was inside at 7:25 a.m., said North Whatcom Fire & Rescue Firefighter Mark Wohlrab, an acting officer during the shift.

Nobody was home, they reported.

Photo by Herald photographer Philip Dwyer.

Firefighters arrived to find that was true, to a degree: A dog had to be let out. (Wohlrab wasn’t sure of the breed.) Brownish smoke lazily drifted inside the home. About 10 minutes after showing up, firefighters had put out the flames.

Firefighters rescued a little white dog from a small fire at 7:25 a.m. in the 8600 block of Valley View. No injuries.

— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) June 7, 2013

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LUMMI TRIBAL STAFF RECOGNIZED FOR OUTSTANDING WORK WITH VICTIMS OF CRIME
U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan Commends Tribe for Responsive Programs

The Lummi Nation’s Crime Victims Unit and Lummi Police Detective Kelley Long were recognized this week by U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan for their outstanding work with crime victims. The Lummi Victims of Crime Unit was established 23 years ago and has 14 staff members working to assist those who have suffered domestic violence, abuse, assault or other victimization. U.S. Attorney Durkan made the presentation Tuesday June 4, 2013 at a meeting of the Lummi Nation Tribal Council.

“Nothing is more important than the care we provide to those who have been touched by crime and violence,” said U.S. Attorney Durkan. “The staff of the Lummi Victims of Crime Office dedicates their services to helping families who are at their lowest point – often coping with terrible loss. On behalf of all the attorneys and the victim/witness coordinators in my office, I want to thank the Lummi staff and the tribe for all they do to help the victims heal and to help us hold the perpetrators accountable.”

The presentation was a surprise for the Victims of Crime staff members including Victim Advocates Winona Boxberger, Irenee Owings, Olivia Solomon, Charlene Casimir-George, and Terrence “TJ” Adams. Two attorneys who assist tribal members in contested family law matters: Michelle Hull and Ben Pratt, and their legal assistant Malcolm Owings. And four staff members who work at the Lummi shelter were recognized: Lorayne Dennis, Tanya McCutchen, Tracy Douglas, and Patty John. Office staff Misty Cisimir and Andrea Johnson were also recognized.

Nikki Finkbonner, the Program Coordinator for the Victims of Crime Office accepted the certificate on behalf of her staff. The Lummi Victims of Crime Office provides comprehensive victim services including: domestic violence, sexual abuse/assault, teen dating violence, stalking, and emergency shelter. The Lummi Victims of Crime Department provides direct services including crisis counseling, follow-up contacts, therapy counseling, group treatment, legal assistance, personal advocacy, compensation claims, transportation, transitional housing, emergency shelter, and death notifications with Law Enforcement.

U.S. Attorney Durkan also applauded the excellent work of Lummi Tribal Detective Kelley Long who has worked closely with the FBI to investigate crimes that are forwarded to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. The Lummi Tribal Police Department has approximately 20 commissioned officers.

The Lummi Nation is a self-governing, federally recognized Indian Tribe. The Lummis are the third largest tribe in Washington State, serving over 5,000 members whose median age is 29 years old.

Press contact for the U.S. Attorney’s Office is Emily Langlie at (206) 553-4110 or Emily.Langlie@usdoj.gov.

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Monday, May 27

9 p.m. A motorist was driving a residential road with her children when they spotted a group of armed teenagers blocking the street ahead. The group continued to block her car’s right-of-way on the paved street, and appeared to be brandishing clubs or baseball bats. As they slowed the family saw that the objects the young men were holding were rifles, and they turned down an adjacent side street to get away from the danger. One of the group shouldered his weapon and appeared to fire on their automobile and the driver saw an orange colored muzzle, indicating the weapon was possibly a less-than-lethal device or perhaps a toy. Police responded to the area and identified the suspects, who claimed they had been playing an evening game with their airsoft weapons. They and their parents were warned about the seriousness and potential consequences of their misbehavior.

Tuesday, May 28

9:45 a.m. A resident on Adelia Street called police to report being victimized by a theft. The post office had left a package by his front door step, but it was stolen before a family member got home later in the afternoon. There are no suspects in the taking of two half-ounce bottles of KBShimmer unique glitter nail polish.

10:19 a.m. Medics responded to an emergency involving a sick person staying at a motel, and called police when they discovered that the victim had expired. A Blaine police officer arrived and conducted an investigation. The 58-year-old man had been living at the motel for some time, as he could not afford medical treatments for his terminal cancer.

Wednesday, May 29

12:29 a.m. A resident spotted a moving truck outside a vacant house in the neighborhood and several people scurrying about, emptying the contents of the home into the truck’s cargo bay. Officers responded and found that the group of young adults were helping a homeowner friend move. No crime was being committed, but the officers were glad to have been called to check it out.

Thursday, May 30

1:41 p.m. A passerby reported that a large truck had struck an electrical transformer on H Street, exposing wiring. An officer responded and found that the damaged property was actually a phone company junction pedestal, and the exposed wiring was not high voltage. Tracks left at the scene showed that a large truck had run over the pedestal while making a turn from the street into a driveway. The truck was no longer in the area. The phone company was notified of the damage.

3:41 p.m. Police received a report that a possibly intoxicated driver was now parked outside a bank. Officers responded and contacted the motorist as he returned to his car. He turned out to be wanted on an outstanding warrant from the Seattle Police Department, was driving a car he had stolen from a relative, and was in possession of over $2,000 in cash he had stolen using the same relative’s stolen ATM card. The property was recovered and the 30-year-old suspect was arrested and booked in to jail.

Friday, May 31

4:35 p.m. Canada Border Services Agency personnel intercepted an elderly man who arrived at the Douglas border crossing on Interstate 5 in his pickup truck. The gent had disappeared from his home in Gresham, Ore., a day earlier. They returned the man and his vehicle to U.S. Customs officers at the Peace Arch Port of Entry, and Blaine police were called. Officers confirmed that the man had been reported missing by his wife in Oregon on Thursday when he did not return home from a short drive. The gentleman did not realize that he had lost an entire day and night, and was astonished to hear that he was now at the U.S. Canadian border, explaining that he had left his house for a drive southbound. Police arranged for the gentleman to meet with a social services specialist at hospital in Bellingham, while his family in Oregon made arrangements to travel here overnight and collect him.

Saturday, June 1

3:05 p.m. Passersby noticed three men go into a vacant house which had been previously burglarized, so they notified authorities in case this was another crime in progress. Officers responded and met the trio at the property. One of them turned out to be the new renter of the home, showing his friends the place he was leasing. He was glad to learn that he would have attentive neighbors and a quick response from law enforcement if needed.

6:35 p.m. Employees at a store called to report that a man outside was using a stick to break into a FedEx drop box in their parking lot. The suspect left in a vehicle just before police arrived. The drop box appeared to have survived the attack with a scratch or mar. The suspect was found a short time later, and he explained he’d not been trying to break into the box. He had deposited one package into the bin, but it landed inside in such a way that his second package would not fit. What the employees had seen was the man trying to scoot the first package over to make room for the second.

10:50 p.m. A person called police to report a resident’s backyard campfire was causing smoke and sparks to drift across the neighborhood, creating a safety hazard. North Whatcom Fire & Rescue responded to mitigate the hazard.

Sunday, June 2

12:30 a.m. A U.S. Border Protection field agent reported a speeding vehicle on H Street at about midnight on Saturday. Police responded and contacted a group of juveniles and young adults on foot and in two cars. They had broken into two teams for an egg war on various streets across central Blaine. The yokels returned to the battleground and cleaned up their mess — mostly egg shells on the streets. Welcome to summer.

12:50 a.m. An intoxicated neighborhood resident, tired of his car being dinged by weekend warriors, decided to sneak up and pop out of his hedge with his BB pistol to accost a group of young people he spotted his car after midnight. He missed seeing that two police officers were standing beside the juveniles. A moment after he popped out of the bushes a brief but decisive understanding of relative firepower potential was achieved. After the officers determined that the gunslinger’s intent he was educated about all of the potential negative results of his actions.

Monday, June 3

11:10 a.m. An employee at a Blaine business called to report that someone had stolen the business’ mailbox over the weekend. The [thieves] apparently uprooted the $300 mailbox and post and made off with the hefty amount of metal. A report was completed to document the incident. There is no suspect information at this time.

Tuesday, June 4

12:16 a.m. Dispatch requested police respond to the port of entry for an individual in possession of controlled substances. Officer arrived, and arrested the person for possession of cocaine, DET [Diethyltryptamine], and marijuana and transported to Blaine Police Department for arrest processing.

5:40 p.m. A large brown lady pit bull was observed running loose at Peace Arch Park and detained by passersby. An officer responded and took the big friendly dog in to custody. She did not have time to get used to her new lodgings before her owners arrived to collect her. She had escaped from the house when a family member left a door open a moment too long.

10:12 p.m. A man and woman stopped their car to get a closer look at a cow standing at a fence near a city street. Upon their departure, they found themselves being followed by a large pickup. The pickup driver followed the couple to the parking lot of a business. The fearful couple called 911 and police met with the group. The pickup driver was the owner of the cow, who had feared the couple’s contact with his cow might have been malicious in nature. Everyone left on friendly terms.

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This week Victor Pluschakov, 36, accepted a plea bargain that would put him behind bars for 5 1/2 years. The plea would also ban him from Whatcom County for 5 years after his release.

From an article written in July 2012:

One victim, the youngest of the brothers, told deputies he suffered sexual abuse from the ages of 7 to 11, sometimes as often as four times a week. He reported being molested in Pluschakov’s car, in Pluschakov’s home and – when his parents were away – in his own home. An older brother described sexual abuse after Pluschakov gave him a haircut, and another time when he was forced onto the man’s bed.

To keep the boys quiet, sometimes Pluschakov gave them iPods, bikes, movies and money; other times he threatened to hurt them, according to the charges.

(You can read the full article here.)

Pluschakov admitted to one count of second-degree child molestation and two counts of third-degree rape of a child on Monday, June 3. One boy suggested many other victims may exist. Prosecutors have not filed additional charges.

Under state law, Pluschakov must undergo a Department of Corrections sex offender evaluation within the next two months, prior to being sentenced by a judge. I intend to follow up with a full article then.

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An interview with the victim, however, didn’t produce many helpful leads.

A passerby called 911 at 4:25 a.m. Sunday, June 2, to report a man, bleeding from his arm, on a footbridge near James and Ohio streets, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. Officers met the 32-year-old man. They asked him to describe the assailants.

“They had two arms and two legs,” he replied, according to a police report.

He later elaborated, saying the men wore dark clothing, and one of them had a Carhartt-style coat. No other description was noted in the report.

His stab wound wasn’t life-threatening. Firefighters bandaged his arm at the scene. He checked himself in to the emergency room at St. Joseph hospital.

The man showed obvious signs of intoxication and admitted to using cocaine and alcohol, Young said. He had tried, apparently, to walk into the drive-through of a nearby McDonald’s, but employees wouldn’t serve him. Police asked him what he was doing on the trail at such an early hour. Riding his skateboard, he said, according to the report. (He didn’t have a skateboard.)

Anyone with tips should call Bellingham police at 360-778-8800. After hours, if you have an urgent tip, call 911.

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Belllingham firefighters responded to the scene after crews in Mesa, Ariz., noticed some shredded tire rubber on the runway. Airport officials sent out a blanket warning to all planes that had recently taken off, including an MD-83 bound for Bellingham.

The plane circled above the airport for a few minutes at a low altitude, so crews on the ground could check for signs of a blown tire. They didn’t find any, and the plane landed without incident, said Port of Bellingham spokeswoman Carolyn Casey.

Here’s a link to Flight Aware’s tracking of the flight path, complete with a graph showing speed and altitude. (The tracker is detailed enough that it shows the plane making an extra loop over the city.)

The @BhamCrime play-by-play:

Scanner: Plane w/blown tire preparing to land at Bellingham airport (BLI). Paramedics responding as a precaution. No details about plane.

— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) May 30, 2013

The plane, Allegiant Flight 217, from Mesa, Ariz., shows no signs of blown tire after low flyover, Port of Bellingham spokeswoman says.

— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) May 30, 2013

Crews had found rubber debris on runway in Mesa. They sent out blanket alert: Didn’t know which plane it belonged to. flightaware.com/live/flight/AA…

— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) May 30, 2013

Scanner: “The plane is down. Everything’s fine.”

— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) May 30, 2013

Port spokeswoman confirms plane landed safely. (@soundslikepuget: The tone of voice & delivery made it clear it was safe.)

— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) May 30, 2013

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