Tag: shoplifting
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A homeless man was arrested after police said he shoplifted three bottles of cheap whiskey — in three separate trips — from a Bellingham Rite Aid, and drunkenly beat two men under a bridge while officers investigated.
Early Jan. 28, police were called to Rite Aid, 3227 Northwest Drive, to a report of someone shoplifting a fifth of whiskey. A linchpin witness left the scene before police could get much info, but a basic suspect description matched Frank Ellis Revey-Lane, 28, a homeless man known to frequent the store, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young.
So Rite Aid employees asked police to issue him a trespass warning.
At 2:30 p.m., a store employee saw Revey-Lane fleeing the store, again, clutching another fifth of cheap whiskey, Young said. During a brief chase on foot, the culprit ditched the evidence, shattering it on the asphalt.
Police spoke with Revey-Lane under a nearby bridge in the same block, where he’s known to stay. They found a freshly opened bottle of the missing brand of whiskey in the hovel. He was warned not to go into the store again and giving a slip of paper explaining the warning.
Officers left the bridge and set up a short-lived stakeout outside the store.
Within minutes, Revey-Lane walked into Rite Aid again and came out with another bottle of whiskey, Young said.
About the same time, two men — aged 33 and 43 — emerged from the homeless camp under the bridge with swollen, beaten faces. They said Revey-Lane had punched them in the face, Young said. At least one of them needed immediate treatment at St. Joseph hospital.
Revey-Lane was booked into Whatcom County Jail on investigation of second-degree burglary, second-degree theft, second-degree trespassing, fourth-degree assault and fourth-degree domestic violence assault (because one of them men was a relative).
Police didn’t note an obvious motive for the assaults, but Young pointed out Revey-Lane was very drunk.
By Caleb Hutton
BELLINGHAM — A man brandished a butcher knife at a cashier after shoplifting an 18-pack of cheap beer from a downtown Bellingham gas station Monday afternoon, Nov. 12.
At the time of this post, he’s still at-large.
Chris Hunt, a cashier at the Shell station on East Holly Street, said two men in their 20s walked into the store about 1:45 p.m. and made a beeline for the beer section. The taller man grabbed an 18-pack of Icehouse beer and ran for the door, handing it off to his buddy as they tried to get away.
The tall man got onto a skateboard and rode west on Holly. Hunt caught up with him about a half a block down the street. When he got within arm’s reach, Hunt said, the man pulled out a knife with a blade about a foot long and waved it at him.
“I’m not sure if it was real or not,” Hunt said. “But it looked real enough right then.”
He backed off. But a passing driver saw what was happening and tried to follow the culprits. They were last seen heading into an alley behind the Copper Hog, 1327 N. State St. The skateboarder crashed at some point in his getaway, so he may have visible injuries.
Hunt described the tall man as 6-foot-2, with blond hair, a black hat, a white hoodie and a distinctive scar on his lower lip. The cashier, who has worked there for about three years, recognized the tall man as someone who comes in every so often — and often makes a nuisance out of himself, he said. The shorter man was about 5-foot-10, with red hair and a greenish jacket.
Police didn’t have their reports finished at the time of this post — and were still actively searching for the suspects — so they weren’t able to pass along any info this afternoon. We’ll put something in print if the cops confirm the details.
The gas station has a few security cameras, so if police obtained footage, we’ll try to get some images out there if they’re available.
Anybody with tips should call the Bellingham Police Department at 360-778-8800. After hours, call 911.
Beer shoplifters pull butcher knife on Shell gas station employee at 415 E Holly St. in #Bellingham. Suspect description to follow.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) November 12, 2012
Both white men in their 20s, w/skateboards. One is 6’2″, white sweatshirt, jeans, scar on lip. Man w/knife is 5’10″, red hair. #bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) November 12, 2012
(By Hunt’s account, I must have gotten that backwards.)
(Cont.) They were last seen in an alley by the Copper Hog. #bellingham
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) November 12, 2012
#policescanner: Referencing Shell shoplift suspects, “the one kid w/the skateboard bit it pretty good,” so he may have significant injuries.
— Bellingham Crime (@bhamcrime) November 12, 2012
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