Tag: wooden stick

By Caleb Hutton

BELLINGHAM — A Bellingham man was robbed of cash by a panhandler, who then defended his spoils with a wooden stick Friday afternoon, Nov. 24, police said.

The victim, 50, had met the man earlier that day when they had a brief conversation on the bus, said Bellingham police spokesman Mark Young. The men didn’t exchange names. They crossed paths again about 4 p.m. in the 2800 block of Patton Street.

The victim was riding a bike. The suspect — a black man in his 40s with a heavy build and a distinctive cyst on his face – approached him and asked if he had any spare cash. The man offered to give him a couple bucks and pulled out his wallet. That’s when the suspect swiped a handful of bills from him, Young said.

The victim chased the culprit through a few yards and, at one point, caught up to him, according to police. The suspect picked up a wooden stick from a yard and wielded it as a makeshift weapon.

“I don’t have a description of the stick,” Young said.

It was enough of a threat, however, for the victim to call off the chase. Instead he phoned police to report the robbery. He said the suspect wore a black baseball cap, a royal blue or black coat and dark pants.

Citing police department policy, Young declined to say how much cash was taken. The wallet wasn’t stolen.

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