Posted by Caleb Hutton
Text courtesy of the Blaine Police Department, with minor edits for style.
See the bottom of this post for a statement about five recent cases of lewd conduct in Blaine.
Wednesday, Jan. 23
8:19 a.m. A business near the marina in Blaine called police to report an ongoing theft of metal from their premises on McMillan Street. Officers are working with surveillance video of the scene which shows the suspects and vehicle involved in the taking.
1:02 p.m. A resident on Mitchell Street suffered a theft of property from his garage. More than $700 worth of tires and power tools were stolen. A statement and stolen property report were completed, and the homeowner is working with police on the investigation.
7:43 p.m. An employee on the evening shift at a premises downtown was at work when a man walked in and exposed himself to the woman. She yelled the suspect to leave and he ran from the building and northbound along Peace Portal Drive. Blaine officers and Border Patrol agents arrived in the area within a minute, but where not able to locate the suspect, who was described as a young adult wearing a dark gray hoodie and black pants.
8:17 p.m. Officers were dispatched to assist a tow company with recovering a vehicle parked at a residence on Harrison Avenue. The person in possession of the auto was visiting the home owner at the time, and was quite upset at having his vehicle repossessed. Officers were able to restore the peace and the recovery team were able to complete their mission.
10:20 p.m. A parent came to the police department with her teenage son in tow. The young man had an active warrant for his arrest. The juvenile was quite under the influence from an overdose of non-prescription cold medicine, and medics were called to evaluate his condition. He was transported to hospital, and booked into juvenile detention after a medical examination.
Thursday, Jan. 24
12:34 p.m. Fire and police units responded to a commercial and government building on Martin Street for a report of an activated fire alarm. The smoke which set off the alarm was was traced to a failed component in the building’s elevator equipment room. No one was aboard the lift at the time, and no rescue services were needed.
2:29 p.m. A man came into the Blaine Police Department to report the theft of his semi trailer. The victim had left the trailer parked in the 700 block of Ludwick Avenue the previous day, and returned to find it missing. Information on the trailer was entered into law enforcement databases and a report was completed. There are no suspects in the theft.
Friday, Jan. 25
8:43 a.m. A resident on C Street accidentally locked herself out of her home, and called police for help. The responding officer found that the house was very well secured. The landlord was not able to respond with a spare key, and locksmiths were advising they could not make it to the scene until hours later. The officer was able to reach the lady’s husband, who was at school in British Columbia, and he sneaked out of class to bring home a house key. The resident and her dog accepted a ride to the police station where they could stay warm until hubby arrived.
9:30 a.m. An officer patrolling the school campus found a car parked unattended with its headlights on in the main student lot on H Street. He was in the process of notifying the school when he noticed that whoever had parked the auto had also thoughtfully left it unlocked. Once he’d turned off the headlights the officer left a note for the driver explaining what had transpired.
3 p.m. A woman called police to report that she had lost $900 cash near a service station on H Street. Officers were not able to locate the money, and completed a report on the loss. If it is turned into the police department she will be notified.
11 p.m. An officer assisted Blaine City Light by documenting the locations and problems with a number of non-functioning streets light throughout the community. A light crew made the needed repairs and bulb replacements over the next few days.
Sunday, Jan. 27
6:10 p.m. A tired, cold 17-year-old boy came to the police station to turn himself in to officers. He was wanted on a felony warrant out of Mason County, and had decided that life on his own on the outside was not as comfortable as he’d imagined. The warrant was confirmed, his parent was notified, and the juvenile was booked into juvenile detention.
Monday, Jan. 28
4:55 a.m. A police officer assisted North Whatcom Fire & Rescue by serving as a first responder for a woman suffering chest pains in her apartment on D Street. The officer, defibrillator in hand, monitored the woman’s condition until relieved by medics.
7:38 p.m. Police were dispatched to a report that a teenager was threatening to harm herself at a D Street residence. The arriving officer found that no one at the house was suicidal. The only distraught person present was a young man who was having a tantrum about the water that was leaking through the downstairs ceiling from a problematic upstairs commode. The officer was in the wrong union to help solve that particular emergency.
Tuesday, Jan. 29
9:02 a.m. A motorist who stopped in Blaine at a service station on Monday called police the next day to report having witnessed a crime here. She explained that while she was fueling her car she observed a man in a nearby car obviously enjoying the act of exposing himself to her. Police are investigating.
Police Chief Mike Haslip also released the following statement Tuesday afternoon.
The Blaine Police Department has received five separate reports in the past two months regarding a man exposing himself to adult women in public locations, masturbating in public view. The suspect in each incident appeared to be directing his behavior to the attention of one victim. In all but one instance the suspect was alone in the driver’s seat of a car at the time. In one instance a suspect walked in to the customer area of an open business during a period when there was one female employee visible in the room. In none of the incidents that have been reported has a suspect spoken to or attempted to come closer to a victim.
Crimes of this nature are very unusual in the community. It is possible the same suspect is involved in all of the incidents. In each case the suspect has left the area immediately after being observed by the victim and prior to law enforcement arrival. The victims in each case involving a vehicle describe it as a nondescript white car. Some of the victims report that the suspect they observed was wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
We are seeking the public’s help in identifying the suspect and stopping these crimes. If you witness a crime like this in progress, immediately put distance between yourself and the suspect. When you are in a position of safety, observe the vehicle: the most crucial piece of information is a license plate number from the suspect car. The color, make, model, or any unique identifiers like a bumper sticker or window decal are also helpful. If there are other people in the area and you are safe, shouting out to attract their attention to the vehicle and suspect can provide more witnesses an opportunity to see and describe the suspect and vehicle to police. Call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so.
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