Year in Review: Selected Blaine Police Department reports from 2019

January 8, 4:54 p.m.; A man called police to report being kidnapped and assaulted with a firearm from a location in Blaine. The man said he was blindfolded and taken by vehicle to a field in Ferndale. The man never provided a written statement. Police investigated and were unable to find any evidence that this incident actually occurred. Case is closed pending further information.

January 13, 12:37 p.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to a report of two juveniles in an alley hiding under a tree. The reporting party allegedly overheard one say, “I’m gonna get a rock.” An officer arrived to find three juveniles under a tree, one holding a glass marijuana bong. The juvenile in possession of the bong was detained and released to his parents. The glass bong was destroyed.

January 14, 6:35 p.m.: Blaine police were called to the I-5 overpass at Hughes Avenue for a report of a man leaning over the bridge. An officer located the man, who told the officer he was just trying to walk to Ferndale. The man was offered a ride but he declined. The man was also warned about walking around in the fog at night, as it is a dangerous thing to do. The man continued his trek eastbound onto Sweet Road.

January 24, 11:53 a.m.: Officers responded to the Blaine Primary School for an assault by a teacher on a student. Officers arrived and determined through the course of their investigation that there was probable cause to arrest a teacher for assaulting a student with disabilities. The teacher was booked into Whatcom County Jail.

January 28, 12:48 p.m.: Officers found a stolen vehicle that was associated with a homicide. Officers and Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies cleared the stolen vehicle and found the suspect had crossed into Canada. The vehicle was impounded by officers and kept in a secure facility at Pierce County Sheriff’s Office request.

February 13, 3:13 p.m.: Blaine police responded to the intersection of Garfield Avenue and Cedar Street for a report of a vehicle running over a stop sign and getting stuck in someone’s yard. The driver then fled the scene. Officers arrived and determined who the driver was and convinced the man to return. The man was found to have two outstanding warrants for his arrest, on top of being charged with hit and run and driving with a suspended license. The man was booked into jail.

February 14, 4:30 p.m.: A verbal altercation over a cigarette between neighbors lead to one neighbor allegedly pulling his pants down and exposing himself and yelling at the other neighbor. Officers arrived and took a statement from the complainant. The suspect was cited and released pending court hearing.

February 18, 2:43 p.m.: Officer stopped a vehicle for 60 plus mph over the posted speed limit of 35 mph on Peace Portal Drive. Upon contacting the driver, the officer discovered the elderly driver was not only recklessly driving, but admitted to knowing they were speeding to “beat the train” but, “didn’t know they were going that fast.” Although reckless driving was a very suitable citation, officer issued the person an infraction for negligent driving, no proof of vehicle insurance, expired registration over two months and will be forwarding the case to the Department of Licensing for a driver’s retake exam.

March 6, 3:28 p.m.: Officers responded to the Peace Arch port of entry for an adult individual who was denied entry into Canada due to being listed as a missing person. Officers contacted this person, and determined that she was fine. Officers contacted the father of the individual and updated him on the status of the missing person.

March 6, 2:38 a.m.: Blaine police responded to the 1500 block of D Street for a report of a stolen motor vehicle by the owner’s minor child. The vehicle was entered as stolen. The child returned home with the vehicle a short time later and was booked into juvenile detention on felony charges.

March 11, 4:05 p.m.: Blaine police were called to a report of a juvenile walking a dog on the railroad tracks. An officer contacted the eight-year-old in the area and explained the dangers to him. The officer then walked with the juvenile to his home and advised his parents as well.

March 14, 9:38 a.m.: A person was causing concern to employees and customers at a business in the 400 block of Peace Portal Drive. The man allegedly told one of the female employees they had nice eyeballs and other odd comments about them. The man then left his official doctors eye exam with the employee and said “Call me.” Officers arrived and contacted the man just outside the business. At the business’ request, as they were afraid to speak to him, the man was trespassed from the business and stated he understood he would be arrested if he returned.

March 17, 3 p.m.: A gas station employee reported a person filled their vehicle with fuel and paid for the fuel, but then forgot to take the pump out of the vehicle as the person drove away causing damage to the pump hose. The person stopped and removed the broken pump nozzle from her vehicle, but then drove away after the employee told her to pull forward. Officer located the owner of the vehicle. The owner thought the employee told her to just leave, so she left. Owner contacted the gas station to take care of the damaged pump.

March 26, 12:39 p.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to the Blaine Middle School for a report of students writing racial graffiti in the bathroom. Police arrived and determined a crime had occurred, but not a felony-level hate crime. The incident was handled administratively by the school district.

March 27, 6:27 a.m.: A person requested a welfare check on a person lying on the sidewalk. Officers arrived and found the person was not breathing. Officer requested the fire department and started CPR. The fire department arrived and took over CPR. The person was unable to be resuscitated. Officers were unable to find any signs of a crime. The medical examiner and next of kin were notified.

March 31, 4:47 p.m.: Washington State Patrol requested assistance with contacting an adult male subject and two young children standing on the shoulder of the highway near exit 276. Officers located the three subjects who were waiting for their grandmother to return to the U.S. from Canada. Officer transported to the local hotel the three were staying at and advised them they could not be out on the freeway. Officer cleared with no further incident.

August 5, 12:50 a.m.: Blaine officers responded to a minor in possession of marijuana at the Peace Arch port of entry. Two men tried to make entry into the United States and, during a search of the vehicle, CBP officers found marijuana in the vehicle and on the person. Blaine officers gave one man a citation for marijuana possession under the age of 21. The other man is being referred to the prosecutor because he had a medical marijuana card. Blaine officers cleared without incident.

August 7, 8:30 a.m.: An officer was dispatched to Marine Drive for a malicious mischief complaint; the reporting party advised his tires were slashed while parked in the parking lot. The officer contacted the victim who advised there was no suspect information and the business did not have adequate camera footage. The officer provided the victim a case report number for insurance purposes.

August 8, 1:19 p.m.: A man called police to report damage to a property his company owns and is under construction. Contractors came to work this morning and found a large water meter had been stolen. This theft caused a large volume of water to be released from the main and eroded soil around a new transformer. Public works employees came to the site and turned the water main off. Damage is valued at $2,500. Loss from theft is valued at $1,350.

September 4, 8:35 a.m.: A Blaine officer was in a minor collision with a concrete barrier. The Blaine officer complied with Blaine Police Department’s policies and filed a report. The vehicle received very minor damage. The concrete barrier received none.

September 9, 2:32 p.m.: An unknown person spray painted over the solar panel of the Blaine police radar trailer. Officers removed the trailer from its location and brought it back to the police department to be cleaned and serviced.

September 12, 5:52 p.m.: Blaine officers responded to a report of an individual on the sidewalk with his pants down. The individual defecated on private property in full view of pedestrians and motorists. Officers arrested the individual for lewd acts. The individual was issued a criminal citation and was released with a court date. Officers transported the individual to the hospital at his request. Police cleared without further incident.

September 14, 6:51 a.m.: Blaine officers responded to a trespass complaint. Officers arrived and contacted the suspect a short distance away. Officers tried to arrest the man for trespassing, but the suspect resisted. When police attempted to take him into custody, he assaulted two officers by kicking them. Officers were able to gain control of the suspect. He was transported to the Whatcom County Jail where he was booked for assaulting police, resisting arrest and trespassing.

September 14, 1 p.m.: Officers responded to the 5000 block of Wood Duck Loop for a report of malicious mischief. Officers arrived and determined that someone had thrown a rock through the complainant’s window. The individual advised he will check his closed-circuit television for relevant video footage. Officers documented the damage and cleared with no further incident. Case under investigation.

September 27, 2:26 p.m.: Officers responded to a person screaming in front of a business. The business wanted her to leave the area. Officers contacted the individual and the person decided to leave on the bus. Officer cleared without incident.

September 29, 7:19 a.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to a submerged vehicle in the 600 Block of Milhollin Drive at the boat launch. A cooperative effort with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, Search and Rescue and North Whatcom Fire and Rescue Station 61 resulted in the recovery of a single deceased person from the vehicle. A death investigation is in progress and the medical examiner’s office has been notified and taken custody of the body.

October 5, 3:17 p.m.: A woman called police after a man came to their home asking to take their children to church. The woman and her husband are in their 70s and 80s. The man realized the couple had no children and left on foot. Police checked the area but were not able to locate the man. Several children in the area were asked if they had seen the man. No children reported seeing the subject.

October 13, 10 a.m.: Officers responded to the Peace Arch port of entry for a report of two individuals in possession of a stolen mini excavator worth approximately $60,000. Officers arrived and determined a father and son were sent back from Canadian customs after attempting to make entry into Canada. Canadian customs agents denied them entry after it was determined that both individuals have ties to the Ku Klux Klan and have a possible criminal history. One individual suffered a medical episode while in U.S. customs and was transported to St. Joseph Hospital. After investigating, officers determined the father and son stole the excavator in Arkansas to build a log cabin on their property in Alaska. Officers booked the son in the Whatcom County Jail and have probable cause to arrest the father.

October 18, 4:55 p.m.: Blaine police contacted a woman requesting assistance verifying her identity at a tow yard. The police ran the woman’s name and confirmed her identity. The woman was then found to have felony probable cause out of Ferndale Police Department. The woman was arrested. While being searched incident to arrest, police located 12 grams of methamphetamine on her person. She was booked into the Whatcom County Jail on Ferndale’s probable cause and Blaine’s probable cause for possession of narcotics.

October 22, 10:30 a.m.: Officers responded to the 200 block of Marine Drive for a report of a stolen vehicle. Officers contacted the individual who advised that he went for a walk and discovered his vehicle was gone upon his return. After investigating, officers determined that the man was driving a different car than he is used to driving. Officers located the vehicle registered to him in the 200 block of Marine Drive. Officers gave the man a courtesy ride to his vehicle and cleared with no further incident.

October 22, 11:53 a.m.: Officers working on a traffic stop were alerted that the passenger had a felony warrant. Officers contacted the individual, who showed identification proving she was not the suspect. Officers determined, through running the identity she provided, that she also has one felony and five misdemeanor warrants for her arrest. Officers took the female into custody and booked her into the Whatcom County Jail. Officers cleared with no further incident.

October 31, 2:09 a.m.: An officer was flagged down by a male who reported seeing flashlights around a house in the early morning hours. Officers contacted the tenants who advised they were outside putting up their Halloween decorations. The officers cleared with no further action.

November 15, 5:21 p.m.: A woman called police to report a man rolling around in the roadway. Police found the heavily intoxicated man stumbling down an alleyway. The man did not want any police or medical help and walked the short distance to his home.

December 4, 7 p.m.: Officers were called to the Peace Arch port of entry to investigate a possible case of reckless endangerment. A person applying for entry into Canada hid a handgun in a local park. The handgun was located and seized; charges for reckless endangerment will be following.

December 12, 11:18 a.m.: Officers responded to the Peace Arch port of entry for a report of a suspended driver. Officers arrived and determined the driver was attempting to make entry into the United States on United States roadways. Officers confirmed the driver to be suspended. Officers arrested, cited and released the individual with a mandatory court date. Officers released the individual to the custody of U.S. CBP agents.

December 13, 5:03 p.m.: Blaine police were dispatched to a report of a man taking pictures of a 12-year-old female in a store. The man claimed to be a photographer and asked the juvenile if he could photograph her feet. Officers arrived and contacted two persons of interest. The store will be providing officers with a video of the man. No probable cause was established.