By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A purse-snatcher on East Maple Street robbed a couple as they walked home from the bars early Saturday, Oct. 27, police said.
A woman, 32, and her boyfriend, 29, were walking home at 2:35 a.m. in the 600 block of East Maple when they turned down a back alley to take a shortcut.
A man sneaked up on them from behind, grabbed the woman’s purse and ran off, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young.
Officers noted the couple was “extremely intoxicated,” so they weren’t able to give a good description of the suspect, Young said. They were certain the robber was a man. But they couldn’t describe his height, weight, age, race, hair, clothes or anything else about him.
He was last seen westbound on East Maple, and may have turned north onto North Garden Street.
Anybody in the area who saw something suspicious should contact the Bellingham Police Department at 360-778-8800. After hours, call 911.
Let me guess, rent was due and their payment was in that purse.
No description of the robber will be forthcoming either because everyone out at that hour is also mostly intoxicated, and there is NO police presence in that area until it’s too late.
It would make a huge difference in this neighborhood if just one police car was downtown when the bars close.
Camille you obviously don’t hang out at bar closing much. There is ALWAYS a strong police presence down town at bar closing.
Actually, as someone that’s frequently sober and downtown late at night, Bellingham PD has just about every officer on shift downtown late at night and as the bars close. They for the most part have to park themselves at The Royal and The Underground due to the inevitable assaults that occur nightly from the drunk assholes spilling out onto the street.
Two thoughts:
1. I am glad nobody was hurt.
2. BRAVO for not drinking and driving.
I’m assuming you mean if just one cop car WASN’T downtown when the bars close.
I live right by the Herald building and I can see The Underground from my apartment, there is never a police car parked there.
But if any of you commenters here are police you would be very welcome in this neighborhood anytime, but especially when the bars close, and even moreso in the summer.
@Huh, yeah you’re right about that! My bar-hopping days have been long gone.
It’s the drunken assholes you’re talking about that wake up the sober residents who have lived here since before the Underground hijacked the neighborhood.