Sheriff's Log

San Juan County Sheriff’s Office reported responding to these calls:

Sept. 6: A 22-year-old Eastsound man was arrested for illegal possession of prescription drugs after he and three companions were found partying without permission in the hot tub of an Obstruction Pass resort. Two suspects escaped and a third was released when he agreed to pay for damages to the resort’s fence.

The arrested man reportedly had eight amphetamine caplets in a container which did not match the prescription and was issued to another man.

— Red skyrockets that resembled emergency flares flying over Dinner Island prompted deputies to launch a marine patrol to investigate a possible accident on the water. U.S. Coast Guard was alerted, rescue boats dispatched and helicopters were placed on standby.

Deputies found a large group of people on the island partying and shooting off fireworks. The property owner and group were lectured about marine safety and their misconduct.

— Witnesses claim a former Friday Harbor resident known as “Fearless Fred” was intoxicated when he smashed his car into a garbage dumpster situated beside a restaurant in town. The man reportedly offered to pay for the damage and dismissed requests to wait for authorities. He is described as an “old washed-up cowboy” in his mid-50s who now occasionally visits the island.

Sept. 7: Speeding and a suspended license proved to be a poor recipe for the chef of an Orcas Island resort who was arrested on Olga Road. The 33-year-old East Coast man was arrested on a warrant issued in New York for letting his car insurance lapse. He was also cited for speeding.

Sept. 8: An Eastsound man found a four-man inflatable raft on Crescent Beach Drive and turned it over to the Sheriff’s Office. The abandoned yellow and blue raft was deflated and laying in the road.

Sept. 9: A 30-year-old Friday Harbor man claims he was assaulted by another local resident during a confrontation at his condominium on Tucker Avenue. He provided deputies with the suspect’s name but they found no witnesses to the incident and were unable to locate the missing man.

— A 71-year-old Friday Harbor man, who arrived at the Sheriff’s Office to report a lost dinghy, was arrested on two-year-old warrant issued in Jefferson County. He was released after posting bail, and filed his report of an 8-foot dinghy last seen at Echo Bay on Sucia Island.

Sept. 10: School district official reported numerous items are missing from the middle and high schools on Orcas Island. The district superintendent suspects the unlisted items — valued at $5,000 — were stolen during summer break.

— The pilot of a floatplane was arrested after landing at a resort on the north end of San Juan Island. Customs agents uncovered two warrants issued for the 33-year-old Pateros resident for driving with a suspended license. He was reportedly polite, cooperative and surprised about the outstanding warrants, believing they had been resolved earlier.

Sept. 11: Updated information about an 18-year-old Lopez Island man led to his arrest for driving with a suspended license. He was dismissed following an earlier traffic stop due to a computer glitch that shielded his driving record. He was later arrested on a warrant issued in Anacortes and cited for not wearing a seatbelt and driving without insurance.

Sept. 12: Dueling complaints were filed following two confrontations between a neighbor of the Friday Harbor gravel pit and representatives of the sand and gravel company.

A company spokesman accused the neighbor of interfering with a barge captain and contractor who were unloading gravel at the site, and that he repeatedly trespasses on company property.

The 53-year-old Griffin Bay resident claims he was cursed at by a company official who threatened him with a lawsuit for driving on the road that winds past the gravel pit.

— The wife of a candidate for political office reported 26 of her husband’s yellow and blue campaign signs have either been damaged, pushed over or stolen on San Juan Island. The majority were located along Roche Harbor and West Valley roads.

Sept. 14: A 51-year-old Eastsound man was arrested for DUI after he drove his pickup into a ditch on Dolphin Bay Road. The man was uninjured and his pickup undamaged despite the mishap.

— A Lopez Island woman who neglected an earlier warning was cited for allowing her pit bull to roam loose and for failure to have it licensed. A neighbor notified authorities after finding the dog on her property and caring for it for two days.

The 23-year-old Flicker Lane resident was warned two months earlier about keeping the dog restrained after it attacked a deputy’s patrol car, and reportedly clawed at his arm and tried to bite his face.

Sept. 15: Deputies escorted an Eastsound man home after guests at a village motel complained the 24-year-old would not leave them alone. Though they knew one another, he was locked out, not wanted in their room, reportedly intoxicated and would not go home.

A 21-year-old guest who refused to identify herself insisted deputies remove him from the motel, but was unwilling to press charges.

— Scott Rasmussen

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read.