Tag: assault
By Caleb Hutton
A Bellingham man accused of sitting on his girlfriend, breaking her glasses and biting her face was arrested this weekend at their apartment.
Police believe Gabriel Victor Lewis, 27, came home to his apartment in the 2900 block of Alderwood Avenue after spending the evening out on the town Friday, March 1.
He got into an argument with his 23-year-old girlfriend. She tried to leave, but he slammed her down on the couch and sat on her, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. Over the course of the assault, he allegedly took her cell phone away, broke her glasses and choked her.
She showed the cops some apparent bite marks on her face. She didn’t need immediate medical treatment.
Lewis was booked into jail about an hour after the first 911 call. He’s accused of second-degree domestic violence assault.
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Police are still searching for a man who pushed a woman down a stairwell last week.
A woman in her 40s reported the 29-year-old man — whom she knew — pushed her down the stairs at 9:35 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, at an apartment in the 4600 block of Wade Street, Young said.
She didn’t suffer any injuries that needed treatment at the hospital, but it’s considered a felony assault.
The suspect left the scene before police arrived. Officers have probable cause to arrest the man but haven’t released his name. That might change if detectives have trouble tracking him down.
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A Bellingham teenager must serve seven months in jail for whacking a stranger in the head with a pipe in a October.
Nickolas Dakota Cooper, who just turned 18, pleaded guilty Thursday, Feb. 28, in Whatcom County Superior Court to attacking another teenage boy a few months ago.
Cooper and a friend approached the 17-year-old boy on Maplewood Avenue and started harassing him on Oct. 30, 2012. The boy told them they were acting stupid. He kept walking.
Just as the boy reached his front yard, Cooper rushed at him and hit him — with what appeared to be a metal pipe — in the left side of the head and his left shoulder, according to charging documents. It left a bump on his head the size of a walnut, and he could barely move his arm, but the boy declined medical aid.
A day later one of the victim’s friends searched Facebook for some people rumored to “jump” other kids, according to the charges. He found photos of Cooper, and the victim was certain that was the guy.
He pleaded guilty Thursday, as an adult. He has to serve seven months for felony assault.
Cooper has many past convictions for serious crimes. For example, he stabbed a boy in an attack that involved a knife and screwdriver in June 2011. The boy had a punctured lung and a cut liver, but survived.
By Caleb Hutton
See below for updates.
Police were looking for a man who came out of some bushes and grabbed a Western Washington University student by the wrist Thursday night, Feb. 28, on North Garden Street.
A Western female student reported that she was walking near the intersection of N. Garden and Beech streets near campus at 9:20 p.m. tonight when a man exited from some bushes, approached her and grabbed her wrist. She struck him in the face and he fled southbound on N. Garden, away from campus and toward downtown. The man is described as being a white male, 5 feet 8 inches tall with an average build, in his early 20s, and wearing dark sweat pants and a long sleeved grey shirt. Police are searching the area. Call 911 if you have any information.
Within the hour, WWU sent out an emergency alert and tweeted what information was available.
#WesternAlert: A woman said a man grabbed her at 9:20 tonight near N. Garden and Beech. She struck him and he fled. Police are searching.
— Western Washington U (@WWU) March 1, 2013
I’ve got a call out to the police spokesman. In the meantime — judging by a list of jail bookings since last night — it doesn’t appear the suspect was caught.
Update at 11 a.m. It’s worth noting: About a week ago, a similar incident was reported near Fairhaven College. It doesn’t appear that the height of the suspects in both incidents match up, but some other details are consistent.
Here’s the alert sent out Friday, Feb. 22:
A Western female student walking from Fairhaven College Commons through the courtyard and toward the 12A parking lot reported that a man approached her at about 6:30 p.m. tonight and asked directions. He then grabbed her arm and attempted to pull her into nearby woods. The woman broke free and the man fled. He is described as a college-aged white man, 6 feet 2 inches tall, slender build and wearing a baggy hoodie and jeans. The woman did not report the assault to police until several hours later, after 9:30 p.m. Police are searching the area. If you have any information please call police at 911.
This might be a good time to point out that if you want emergency alerts from the university, click here and fill out the form.
Update at 11:30 a.m. Randy Stegmeier, chief of WWU police, said the difference in the suspect descriptions — especially the big difference in height — makes it unlikely that the two cases are connected, despite the similar circumstances.
“But you never know,” Stegmeier said. “(Different) victims can have different views.”
The latest suspect was in his late teens or early 20s. He may have said something to the woman when he grabbed her, but she didn’t hear clearly. And she didn’t seem to get a very good look at him, according to police. It wasn’t clear if he had a bloody nose or any other obvious injuries from getting hit in the face, but apparently, Stegmeier said, she thwacked him pretty hard.
“So good for her,” the police chief said.
At the time of this post, nobody has been arrested in either case.
Stegmeier said he plans to send out an advisory reminding students about WWU’s Greencoat escorts and other ways to safe when walking near campus at night.
Update at 2:45 p.m. Stegmeier just released this message. Here are the last two paragraphs:
No suspects have been identified and it is unknown if these two incidents are related. Police are following leads and asking for anyone with information about either incident or having seen suspicious persons on or around the Western campus to call the University Police Department at (360) 650-3555 or Detective
Renick with the Bellingham Police Department at (360) 778-8754 about the N. Garden incident.For anyone walking during the hours of darkness; try to walk with others, stay in well-lighted and well-traveled areas; always be aware of your surroundings and anyone in the area; keep your cellphone handy; if you are on campus, be aware of the locations of the emergency “blue phones” and if you must walk alone, call University Police for a safety escort from our Public Safety Assistants.
By Caleb Hutton
BIRCH BAY — A Birch Bay woman was arrested on suspicion of attacking her 17-year-old son with a butcher knife this week.
The woman and her son got into an argument late Tuesday, Feb. 26, at a home in the 4500 block of Petticote Lane. The 37-year-old mom, Deanna D. Vandyk, struck him several times before letting up for a moment, said Whatcom County Sheriff’s Sgt. Larry Flynn.
But then Vandyk grabbed a large butcher knife, flew into a rage, screamed that she wanted to kill the boy and lunged forward, Flynn said. He managed to wrestle the knife from her. The teen didn’t suffer any stab wounds.
The boy’s grandmother witnessed the altercation. Deputies were called to the scene via 911 and a life alert. The boy had some minor injuries from the first barrage of blows, but wasn’t hurt otherwise.
Vandyk was booked into jail just before midnight on suspicion of second-degree domestic violence assault and felony harassment, for the threats to kill her son.
BELLINGHAM — A felony assault suspect remains at large Tuesday, Feb. 19, a day after injuring a Bellingham woman by punching her in the face repeatedly.
Officers believe at 1:35 a.m. Monday, the man was visiting a 52-year-old woman in the 1700 block of Texas Street when they got into an argument.
She took several blows to the face before the man fled the scene, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. She needed immediate medical treatment.
Police have probable cause to arrest the man for domestic violence assault in the second degree — a charge often reserved for assaults that cause serious injuries. Young said the detective hasn’t asked for public assistance in tracking down the suspect, so his name hasn’t been released.
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A Bellingham woman was accused of shattering the glass pane of a picture frame over her husband’s head Monday afternoon, Jan. 14.
Lisa Pattison, 33, got into an argument with her husband at 1:50 p.m. in their home on Carolina Street , said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young.
The argument escalated. She picked up a 7-by-8-inch picture frame and hit him over the head, breaking the glass pane on the crown of his head, according to police. The husband had some minor injuries but didn’t need medical aid.
Photos of the evidence showed the picture frame was empty, aside from the shards of glass, Young said.
Pattison was booked into jail on suspicion of domestic violence assault in the fourth degree. She was released Tuesday morning after promising to show up for her next court date.
By Caleb Hutton
It was busy weekend for the cops in Bellingham. Here are a few newsworthy things that won’t be in the print edition of the paper.
First, the death investigation of a 25-year-old Ferndale man.
Dylan James Boatman was found unresponsive at 1:55 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 15, in a parking lot in the 1100 block of Railroad Avenue. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.
A Monday morning autopsy found no inflicted trauma on his body, said Whatcom County Medical Examiner Gary Goldfogel. The death is still under investigation, pending the results of toxicology tests.
Second, a domestic violence assault led to a brief police standoff at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 16. Here’s a verbatim summary of the police report, as transcribed by Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young.
A 23 year old female victim called 911 from a friend’s home stating her husband of several years had physically assaulted her by punching her while they were both in their car driving in Bellingham. The victim was able to get out of the vehicle and when chased by the suspect, she was able to get back into the vehicle to drive off leaving him behind. The victim drove to a friend’s home to call 911.The suspect was located at the couple’s home in the 1300 block of Ellis Street. Officers could see that the alleged suspect was home but he refused to come to the door. A search warrant was served on the residence and a K-9 was deployed when the suspect continued to refuse lawful commands.The suspect, 43 year old Kenneth Eagle, was taken into custody, transported to hospital for treatment then booked into Whatcom County Jail for Assault 4th DV [domestic violence].The victim in the assault refused medical treatment. Alcohol is believed to be factor.
And third, here are a few details we didn’t have in this story about a stabbing on East Sunset Drive.
Police said Christopher R. Morissette attacked a 2001 Hyundai car that was stopped for traffic. Several gouges from a 3- to 4-inch serrated blade caused about $900 in damage. Nobody was hurt in the bizarre and apparently random attack on the car. Young noted the suspect was “acting drugged out.”
By Caleb Hutton
Via police scanner traffic.
Here’s the story of a man arrested on suspicion of attacking a stranger on North Samish Way, told 140 characters at a time.
Man, 30s, w/afro, punched woman in the face at the Coachman Inn, 120 N. Samish, #Bellingham. “He may have broken her nose.” EMTs en route.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) December 8, 2012
At first, from what I could tell, a couple of cops on bikes were pedaling to the scene, guessing it might take them 20 minutes.
“The female’s saying she doesn’t know the black male who punched her.” Man may have mental issues. He’s hanging around the Chevron station.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) December 8, 2012
Right here, dispatchers switched into emergency mode.
Witnesses reporting man has something in his hand. Could be a black pistol. He’s randomly charging at citizens near a nail salon on Samish.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) December 8, 2012
Cops looking for a “black male, gray T-shirt, blue jeans, carrying a bag and possibly a black pistol” near Coachman on Samish. #Bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) December 8, 2012
“Suspect’s in the office.” But unclear which office. #Bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) December 8, 2012
Suspect detained. Can be heard shouting in the background. Witness now heading over to identify him. #Bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) December 8, 2012
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A Bellingham man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend several times has pleaded guilty and agreed to a recommended prison term of 15 years.
Warren Denell Willis, 32, admitted guilt Tuesday, Dec. 4, to first-degree burglary and two counts of second-degree assault after he broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home on June 24, attacking her and her current boyfriend with a knife.
In the plea deal, prosecutors recommended Willis serve a 15-year sentence. He also agreed to pay about $3,000 in restitution.
From the story Zoe Fraley wrote in June:
Deputies responded to a home in the 100 block of East Smith Road at about 8 a.m., where Warren Willis … had allegedly forced his way in and assaulted his ex-girlfriend. She had moved to the home to get away from Willis and didn’t think he knew where she lived, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Willis allegedly pulled the woman’s hair, repeatedly punched her, attempted to strangle her, slammed her face into a kitchen counter and stabbed her multiple times. He told her that he was going to kill her.
The woman’s current boyfriend and a female friend told deputies they saw Willis straddling the woman and stabbing and punching her. They tried to stop him by hitting him with potted plants and pots and pans, and using a Taser.
As they tried to help, Willis allegedly tried to assault them as well, attempting to stab the current boyfriend.
The assault finally stopped when Willis was hit in the head with a pan. Sheriff Bill Elfo said that if the two hadn’t intervened, Willis might have killed the woman.
The woman was taken to St. Joseph hospital with stab wounds, a broken nose and bruising and swelling to her face and neck. She was released from the hospital Sunday night.
I plan to follow up on the story at Willis’ sentencing. The date of that hearing wasn’t available from the prosecutor’s office.
By Caleb Hutton
A Bellingham man was robbed of his wallet and skateboard late Monday, Dec. 3, after a group of four people beat him on East Holly Street, police said.
The 27-year-old man was riding in the 500 block of East Holly when a group of people — two men and two women in their late teens or early 20s — stopped him to ask if he had any money, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young.
He told them no, argued with them for a bit, and then tried to ride away. They stopped him and beat him, taking his wallet and skateboard in the scuffle, Young said.
No weapons were used. The man’s injuries were minor, according to police.
Few details were available about the suspects, aside from the rough estimate of their ages. A detective is following up on the case, and hopefully will get better descriptions of the suspects from the victim. As of the latest report, police had not spoken to any eyewitnesses, Young said.
As a policy, Bellingham police don’t say how cash robbers got away with.
If you have any tips, call the Bellingham Police Department at 360-778-8800. After hours, call 911.
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