Birch Bay residents arrested for burglary, theft of firearms

Three Birch Bay residents were recently arrested for their alleged involvement in a burglary that was interrupted by the victim when he returned home from work.

On September 16 at about 5:30 p.m., Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies responded to a report of an interrupted burglary at a residence in the 3600 block of Birch Terrace Drive in Custer.

The homeowner had arrived home from work and found an unidentified female sitting on his front porch. When he asked her what she was doing, she responded that she was “waiting for a friend” and then hurried away carrying a duffel bag. The homeowner entered his home and found that it had been ransacked and that numerous items were missing, including four firearms, ammunition, tools, a TV and stereo equipment, as well as clothing.

The homeowner immediately called 911 to report the burglary. WCSO deputies arrived and noticed two men sitting in a nearby vehicle. They approached the males and identified them as Joshua Stroud, 38, and Danny Stroud, 39, of Birch Bay. The men stated that they were visiting a “friend” in the area to buy some wheels. After they denied their involvement in the burglary and their vehicle was inspected and found to be empty, they left the scene.

As the deputies continued their investigation, they discovered that three buildings had been broken into on the property: the main residence, a garage and a shed. With the help of a K-9, they also began to discover the missing property that had been stolen. Property was stashed in several locations around the land, including behind the shed, near the front porch and in the nearby woods.

“The belongings and firearms had been removed from the residence and piled up in several locations on the property, presumably to be able to quickly pick up the piles,” said a report by one of the deputies.

All of the stolen property was recovered on the scene. A duffel bag matching the description of the one carried by the unidentified female was also found nearby. That bag contained some of the stolen property, as well as documents and papers in the name of “Joshua Stroud” and “Michelle Stroud.” In addition, a tool with the name “Stroud” on it was found in the victim’s residence.

Deputies prepared a photo lineup that included Joshua Stroud’s wife, Michelle Stroud, 37, and the homeowner positively identified her as the person he saw sitting on his porch. Probable cause was established for the arrest of Joshua, Danny and Michelle Stroud for first-degree burglary, theft of firearms and first-degree theft (value over $5,000).

On September 24, deputies located the Strouds in the area of Birch Bay. All three were arrested on the charges and booked into Whatcom County Jail. According to Whatcom County records, Danny Stroud was released on September 25 and not charged. Michelle Stroud, under the name Michelle Spaulding, was released the same day on a personal recognizance and charged with first-degree burglary, four counts of theft of a firearm and second-degree theft. Joshua Stroud was released on September 28 and not charged.