A suspect in a bicycle theft kept police busy on the morning of July 6. The man led officers on a chase through a Miller Road neighborhood before ditching the bicycle and fleeing into the Grand Forest. Later witnesses saw the man climb the barbed wire-ringed fence of an Island Center auto body shop with “Spiderman”-like agility. Police were unable to track down the nimble suspect.
We’re catching up on a couple of weeks of blotter here – including the busy Fourth holiday – so top off your coffee and enjoy:
July 9
Collision: A deer crashed into the windshield of a truck traveling south on Highway 305 near Sportsman Club Road at about 4:30 p.m. The driver said the deer bolted directly at his Chevy Avalanche and attempted to jump it. The deer slammed into the windshield, which shattered, but remained intact. The driver was not injured.
Bicycle crash: A 77-year-old island man was injured in an apparent bicycle wreck on Bjune Drive near Madison Avenue, though the man could not recall what had happened. Police interviewed the cyclist at a Winslow clinic at about 4 p.m. Nurses said concerned passersby found the man and a scraped up bicycle Bjune Drive and helped him to the clinic. The man said he had been riding home to his boat. He suffered abrasions on his arms and face.
July 7
Drunken driving: A 36-year-old island man was arrested for driving under the influence on Highway 305 shortly after 1 a.m. Police witnessed the man’s Jeep veer over the yellow centerline as it motored south from Seabold and stopped the vehicle near Day Road. The man performed unsteadily on field sobriety tests and declined a portable breathalyzer test. He was arrested and taken to the police station, where a breathalyzer test registered his blood alcohol content at .195. The legal limit is .08. Police booked the man into Kitsap County jail.
July 6
Drunken driving: Police stopped an SUV near the intersection of Highway 305 and Sportsman Club Road after watching the vehicle swerve into oncoming traffic and overcorrect onto the shoulder of the road. The driver, a 51-year-old Indianola man, smelled of alcohol and told police he’d drunk two beers with dinner. He performed poorly on field sobriety tests and declined a portable breathalyzer test. He was arrested for driving under the influence. The man acted obstructively when police attempted to administer a breath test at the station. He continually removed the mouth piece or attempted to block it with his tongue. He eventually agreed to submit to a blood sample. The man was booked into Kitsap County jail.
Stolen vehicle: A red 1997 Ford Explorer with a yellow “Save the bees” bumper sticker was reported stolen from the 13000 block of Manzanita Road at 9 a.m. The owner, a 42-year-old Bremerton man, said the vehicle may have been unlocked and the keys were stored in the center console.
Suspicious incident: Police were called to an auto body shop on Miller Road where neighbors said a skinny young man wearing a camera bag climbed the tall perimeter fence of the yard and disappeared. The incident was reported at 9:20 a.m. Witnesses said they saw the man was “acting crazy” and shouted to them that he was a drug abuser. The suspect moved “extremely fast” and “climbed the tall fence like he was Spiderman,” they said. The fence was topped with barbed wire and police had search for a safe place to climb over. They were unable to locate the suspect but a trained tracker from the Suquamish department found a place where the suspect likely climbed the fence to escape into the woods. Based on the suspect description police determined the suspect was likely the same person involved in an earlier bicycle theft.
Bicycle theft: A young man on a bicycle led police on a chase around the Justin Court neighborhood north of Island Center. Police were called to the area shortly after 8 a.m. when callers reported the man trespassing and acting suspiciously. A neighbor confronted the suspect who reportedly went “tearing off down Justin Court” on the bicycle. Police checked the area and saw the man emerge from a private driveway. Police ordered the man to stop but he told them “No way,” and peddled faster. A chase ensued, with the suspect dodging the police vehicle and reversing directions abruptly. He eventually ditched the bicycle and fled into the Grand Forest. Police found a sticker for a local shop on the bicycle and were able to track down the owner, a Koura Road man. The owner said he’d noticed the $500 mountain bike missing and was grateful for its return.
July 5
Found boat: A Olallie Lane resident recovered a dinghy adrift south of Agate Passage. The dinghy had a set of oars inside and appeared to have broken loose from a tether.
Theft: A $75 tablet computer was reported stolen from a Fourth of July booth in Winslow. The booth was operated by a Kent vendor.
Theft: A Scott brand bicycle valued at $700 went missing from the porch of a Eagle Harbor Drive business. The owner said he would check security camera footage for evidence.
July 4
Malicious mischief: Police were dispatched to Henderson Road shortly before midnight when a taxi driver reported seeing a man push over a motorcycle and walk away. Police searched the area but did not find a man matching the suspect description. Neighbors said they suspected the driver had backed his taxi into the motorcycle, an accusation the driver denied. The taxi had too much existing body damage for police to determine whether it had come in contact with the motorcycle. The owner of the motorcycle said the machine sustained significant damage, including a cracked crank case, scuffs to the cowling and a broken controls. Police could find no physical evidence to aid their investigation and closed the case.
Theft: A Bothell man volunteering at the Fourth of July festivities reported a bag containing his Apple laptop, checkbook and motorcycle keys had been stolen. The items were valued at about $1,500.
Assault: Police responded to a Winslow Way bar where a fight had reportedly broken out between several men shortly after midnight. A 25-year-old Bainbridge man was sitting outside the establishment, surrounded by a crowd of about 20 people when police arrived. The man had injuries to his faces, arm and leg. Bystanders said he’d been attacked by a second man but were unable, or unwilling, to say who the suspect was and where he’d gone. Police contacted a man with an injured arm walking away from the scene. The man told police he’d tried to break up the fight but had been punched in the head and knocked down. Witnesses confirmed his story. The suspect in the assault was not located.
July 2
Reckless driving: Police witnessed a motorcycle pop a wheelie while accelerating north on Highway 305 past High School Road. The motorcycle turned onto Madison Avenue North, then Yaquina Avenue with the police car following. Police stopped the motorcycle on Moran Road and contacted the rider, a 24-year-old Seattle man. The man said he was on his way to work in Poulsbo, though police noted he’d turned off the highway, suggesting he was avoiding contact. The man was cited for reckless driving.
July 2
Theft: More than $600 in decorative household items went missing from a South Beach Drive residence during an open house. The items included glass tea stirs and paper weights. The homeowner said about 30 people attended the open house, which was overseen by a real estate agent. No suspects.
July 1
Collision: A moving van was exiting a Cave Avenue driveway when it snagged an overhead telephone wire. The taught wire tore through the top of the, ripping its way through about one-third of the length of the vehicle. Police advised the driver, a 50-year-old Seattle man, to call a tow truck but he drove away in the van instead.
June 30
Theft: A portable air compressor was reported stolen from a home on the 3000 block of Pleasant Beach Drive at 9:30 a.m. The compressor was a Powermate model with red tank, black housing and yellow hose.
Burglary: Police responded to a burglary report on the 3000 block of Pleasant Beach Drive shortly after 4:30 a.m. The caller said a suspect was seen running from the house 10 minutes prior. Police were unable to locate the suspect, who was described as a juvenile in a dark hooded sweatshirt. A purse was missing from a kitchen counter. The house had been left unlocked.
June 28
Marine incident: The police boat was called to Wing Point at 8 a.m. for a report of a disabled vessel. People onboard the 16-foot skiff were attempting to paddle with one oar but were dangerously close to running aground on a rocky shore when police arrived. Police towed the vessel to its slip in Eagle Harbor.
June 27
Marine incident: Bainbridge police assisted several agencies and Good Samaritans in the rescue of four passengers of an overturned skiff on Puget Sound. The skiff was secured to a private yacht when the Bainbridge police boat arrived on scene. Two men who’d been in the skiff were shivering on the deck of the yacht. One of the men appeared intoxicated and close to hypothermia. Police drove the two men to the Shoreline area, where they were met by an aid crew. The men said the boat was overloaded and had swamped. Two other passengers had swum to shore.
