Tag: bellingham police
By Caleb Hutton
Bellingham police recovered a gun from the wheel of a car parked at a dealership late Thursday, Nov. 29 — a possible clue in the robbery of a Blue Cab driver and his van earlier in the week.
Here’s the story we ran about the robbery.
An employee of Roger Jobs Motors, the dealership where the cab was ditched, found a gun sitting on top of a parked vehicle’s wheel, behind the wheel well, late Thursday, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. It was wrapped in a piece of clothing.
Young declined to identify the caliber of the handgun, what kind of clothing it was in and the model of the car.
Police are checking for fingerprints. They had searched the dealership with police dogs on the night of the robbery, but the search came up cold.
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A 74-year-old woman was punched in the face by a pedestrian at the intersection of Holly Street and Broadway last week, according to Bellingham police.
The woman reported the crime Monday morning, Nov. 26.
According to her story, as it was relayed by police:
She was turning left in a 2009 Toyota Camry after the traffic light turned green at 8:45 a.m. Nov. 21. An outraged man, whom the driver hadn’t seen in the crosswalk, yelled and flapped his arms at her. He was mad that she was turning toward him.
The woman rolled down the window to apologize. The man asked if she was trying to kill him, then punched her in the face. Because she was wearing glasses, she suffered a 1-inch horizontal cut near her eyebrow.
A detective later advised her to talk to a doctor about the injury.
The suspect was described as a white man of average build and height. He was last seen headed north from the intersection. No further description was available.
Police are encouraging any witnesses to call the police department at 360-778-8800. After hours, call 911.
By Caleb Hutton
A pair of Zen koans from the Bellingham Police Department.
Reported: Nov 20 2012 5:19PM
Location: 1600 BLK C ST
Offense: MALICIOUS MISCHIEF
Case #: 12B43635Male smashed (V1) truck windshield with a dead fish. He then handed (V1) a $100.00 bill.
Reported: Nov 22 2012 2:08AM
Location: 4500 BLK MERIDIAN ST
Offense: SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE
Case #: 12B43822(C1) called 911 after hearing the washing machine running by itself.
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A cab ride turned into a robbery early Thursday, Nov. 15, when a passenger swore and screamed at the driver, then took her cell phone as she called 911, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver picked up Matthew Alan Bentley, 26, from a downtown Bellingham bar about 12:30 a.m. Thursday, said Sgt. Larry Flynn. His destination was on Marine Drive.
During the ride, Bentley’s “unruly” behavior unnerved the driver: He was screaming, swearing and threatening her, Flynn said. The woman cut the route short and drove toward a convenience store along Bennett Drive, where people might be at that time of night, and called 911.
Bentley snatched the phone from her, Flynn said. The frightened woman thought he was going to strike her with it. She honked her horn at a passing state trooper, then ran out of the cab. The man ran out too.
The suspect tumbled over a guard rail, into an embankment full of blackberry bushes. He was still holding the cell phone, with the open line still audible at the 911 dispatch center.
Deputies arrested Bentley at gunpoint. He was booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree robbery and third-degree assault. The assault was a felony because the woman was driving a cab at the time.
The phone was recovered from the bushes and returned to the victim.
Bentley has felonies on his court record for theft and possession of more than 40 grams of marijuana.
By Caleb Hutton
An equipment trailer with an excavator on it rolled over on the Interstate 5 southbound on-ramp at Sunset Drive on Wednesday morning, Nov. 7.
The trailer, hauled by a dump truck, tipped over about 9:35 p.m. a.m.
Nobody was hurt, but traffic moved slowly. The southbound on-ramp was still closed a half an hour later, at the time of this posting.
Update at 1:03 p.m. Department of Transportation crews cleared the scene two minutes ago.
This photo comes from Herald reader Carol Howard.
And for some perspective, here are a few traffic cam photos, courtesy of the state Department of Transportation.
By Caleb Hutton
A former employee of a Bellingham luxury hotel must serve two weeks in jail for stealing eight TVs from his employer’s storage room.
The flat-screen televisions were reported stolen from a storage facility at the Hotel Bellwether on March 25, 2010. The facility was surrounded with a chain link fence and secured by a padlock. Police didn’t notice any sign of forced entry.
Five days later police discovered James Marchant, 37, an employee of the Bellwether, had pawned six TVs at Bellingham pawn shops the previous December and January, according to court records. The serial numbers matched the stolen TVs.
Marchant was sentenced in August to two weeks in jail for theft in the first degree. He started serving that sentence last week. Prosecutors recommended he serve his time on a work crew. He also has to pay back $1,500 to the hotel.
For the charging documents, click here.
By Caleb Hutton
A weird one we’d been holding off on covering until we got more info:
Reported: Oct 5 2012 5:14PM
Location: 1400 BLK 12 ST
Offense: ASSAULT – Felony
Case #: 12B37509Officer responded to a report of a possible felony assault. (V1) said her neighbor gave her a cake full of crushed glass.
Police have interviewed both parties in the case. Turns out it may have been an accident, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. He didn’t know the glass-to-cake ratio, but police just don’t have enough evidence to prove innocence or guilt.
I don’t have any notes for this next one, but it’s something that stuck out.
Reported: Oct 21 2012 1:23PM
Location: 2600 BLK BARKLEY BL
Offense: CHILD – LOST/FOUND
Case #: 12B39536(R1) who is a Homeland Security Agent noticed a young male walking alone and contacted the 6 year old. (C1) the 6 year old told the agent a story that led the agent to believe the 6 year olds grandfather was disabled near a duck pond and in need of medical help. Several BPD officers responded along with BFD medics to the last know[n] area of the grandfather. Officers learned that the story was just that, a story, and that the 6 year old had ran away from the grandfather. Everyone was located and found to be safe and healthy.
I’ve got a call out to the cops about the felony assault (case number 12B39583). So expect to see something on the blog or in print about that.
By Caleb Hutton
Here’s the morning scanner chatter.
Three-car crash blocking traffic at North State and Boulevard. Doesn’t sound like anyone’s hurt. #bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) October 15, 2012
Firefighters responded to campfire in Maritime Heritage Park, near the Holly St. side.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) October 15, 2012
#policescanner: Man in the bathroom of The Market at Lakeway is “drinking a beer he has not paid for.” #bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) October 15, 2012
Crash reported at Chevron on Lakeway. Cops en route. #bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) October 15, 2012
Six-foot-tall man in his 60s irate over bill at Sandy Point clubhouse. Employee locked herself in back room to keep her distance.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) October 15, 2012
And quickly, here’s something from over the weekend.
Reported: Oct 14 2012 4:22PM
Location: 4500 BLK MERIDIAN ST
Offense: ACCIDENT – INJURY
Case #: 12B38666(I1) was cited for Following Too Closely Under Conditions and No Proof Of Insurance In Vehicle after being involved in a collision with another vehicle.
Turned out injuries weren’t serious, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. Nobody was taken to the hospital.
Posted by Caleb Hutton
For background, here’s the story we ran after the botched robbery.
And here’s the press release from Bellingham Police Lt. Rick Sucee:
Bellingham, WA–On Friday September 28, 2012 Bellingham Police honored three citizens that stepped in and foiled a robbery of an 80 year-old man’s car. On July 30, 2012 an 80 year old man, who uses a walker to get around, parked his car at the Wendy’s restaurant on Samish Way. As the man got out of his car he was confronted by a 31 year-old male suspect. The suspect demanded the man’s car keys grabbing them and throwing the 80 year-old man to the ground. Amanda Briggs, a Wendy’s employee, witnessed the incident and ran to the vehicle. The suspect started the car but still had his leg hanging out, so Briggs slammed the door on the suspects leg and attempted to pull him out. As the suspect put the car in reverse Briggs was knocked to the ground. While this incident was playing out two more citizens ran to assist Briggs and detain the suspect. Michael Widman and Damon-Federico Holden were able to get part way in the vehicle to stop it and then wrestled the suspect out of the car and pinned him to the ground until police arrived.
Bellingham Police Officers went to Wendy’s restaurant on Friday September 28, 2012 to award the three a letter of commendation from the police department. In the letter from Chief Todd Ramsay, he commended the three for there willingness to come to the aid of another, their courage, and credited them with the apprehension of a dangerous felon.
The suspect, Reggie W. Williams 31, was booked for Robbery in the 1st Degree, Assault in the 1st Degree, and Theft of a Motor vehicle.
Williams is still awaiting trial.
By Caleb Hutton
Aristides Nolasco, a man convicted of molesting a preteen girl, must serve one year and eight months in prison, according to a ruling handed down last week in Whatcom County Superior Court.
Here’s the story Zoe Fraley wrote in June, when Nolasco pleaded guilty.
A 47-year-old man pleaded guilty to molesting a preteen girl who had come forward to a school counselor about the abuse after watching a school video about bullying and sexual harassment. Aristides Nolasco pleaded guilty to second-degree child molestation Thursday, June 28.
The Bellingham Police Department began investigating the sexual abuse last October after the girl came forward with the allegations. She told officers that when she was 9 or 10, Nolasco had touched her breasts and vagina under her clothes while they were driving to pick someone up, according to court documents.
She told investigators that he told her she should rub her breasts in the shower so that they would grow. When she was 11, he reached down her shirt while she was watching TV on the couch. She told investigators that she sat up and hugged a pillow to stop him from going any further.
When investigators interviewed Nolasco, he originally told them that the girl was making up the allegations for attention. He later admitted that she wasn’t lying and that he remembered the incident in the car and the one on the couch, though he couldn’t recall if he had touched her breasts the second time.
Nolasco had no felony history.
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