Police Blotter: Lake Washington Boaters Arrested For Drinking During July 4 weekend

Mercer Island's Marine Patrol had a busy Independence Day weekend, arresting at least six boaters in Lake Washington for operating their boat while under the influence of alcohol or furnishing it to underage passengers.

On the evening of July 4, officers stopped two boats for registration violations. In the first incident at 5:40 p.m., a motorboat initially attracted police attention near the for creating a wake in a no-wake zone. The captain of the boat, a 25-year-old Seattle man, smelled of alcohol and he admitted to drinking earlier in the day. After failing a field sobriety-test, the man was arrested on suspicion of piloting the boat while drunk. 

About an hour later in the same area, an intoxicated 20-year-old resident was arrested at the helm of a Sea Ray motorboat. A portable breathalyzer test showed his blood-alcohol was over the legal limit and he was taken to the Mercer Island Police station. The boat was later released to the youth's father at the city boat launch.

Two days later on July 6, a Mercer Island Marine Patrol boat stopped a white Sea-Ray motorboat in Meydenbauer Bay near the Yacht Club for an expired registration display. While they checked the vessel's paperwork, officers noticed a large amount of alcohol on board and that all on-board had been drinking it. The operator of the boat — a 21-year-old Kirkland resident — submitted to several field sobriety tests — which he passed — but the other three passengers were underage. The three minors were cited for underage drinking and the boat operator was taken into custody and cited for furnishing alcohol to minors. The boat was released to another sober passenger who was over 21-years-old.

July 5 

Disappearing Mail

The resident of a home on the 7700 block of 89th Place reported her mail had been stolen from her mailbox sometime between 1-3 p.m. the previous day.

IRS Contact Resident Over Suspected Identity Fraud

The Internal Revenue Service contacted the resident of a home on the 8400 block of SE 69th Place top inform him that someone had electronically filed a tax return on March 11 using his name and social security number. Police have no suspect information.

July 7

GPS Thieves Prowl Car on Fortuna Drive

Police have no leads in a Honda Accord car prowl parked on the 9100 block of Fortuna Drive that allegedly occurred sometime between June 23 - July 3. A GPS unit, valued at $275, was stolen from a center console. There were no signs of forced entry and the car's owner, an 81-year-old resident, said he must have left the car unlocked.

July 8

Local Car Prowlers Grab RayBans 

A 37-year-old Seattle woman reported her car was broken into overnight while parked in front of a residence on the 5000 block of 88th Avenue SE. Sometime between 5 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., an unknown suspect smashed the front passenger-side window of the Volvo XC70 with an unknown object and took a purse, wallet and RayBan sunglasses from inside.

Local Man Stiffs Tow Truck, Spends Money at Bar Instead

Reunited with his Acura Legend after it was towed from Seattle, a 29-year-old resident allegedly drove off without paying tow truck driver. When the towing company delivered his Acura Legend to the man's home on the 7600 block of SE 34th Street at around 11:55 a.m., the man "panicked" when he realized he didn't have the $140 he needed to pay for the tow and drove off with two flat tires. Police located the man an hour later at a local bar and arrested him for third-degree theft and was booked in the Issaquah Jail.

Woman Victim in 'Phishing' Fraud Incident

While surfing the internet at home on the evening of July 5, a local woman reported she was the victim of a "phishing" fraud scheme. The 56-year-old resident of a home on the 4000 block of 96th Avenue SE said she was re-routed to a fraudulent website and entered her credit card information. She estimated losing approximately $140.

Apartment Managers Impound Truck With Expired Tabs

A resident of the 9000 block of Shorewood Drive reported the theft of his registration tabs on his Ford F250 pick-up truck. Zealous property management staff impounded the truck for expired tabs at around 12:49 p.m., citing local property rules. He insisted his tabs were current and someone must have stolen them.

July 9

Man Interferes With DUI Investigation

Police investigating an unrelated case on the 2200 block of 72nd Avenue SE arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of drunk driving at 1:30 a.m. When police noticed the man smelled of alcohol, the suspect tried to drive away in a silver Volvo S60 and nearly struck an officer — who jumped out of the way. Another officer was able to detain the man and tried to measure his blood-alcohol levels with a portable breathalyzer test, but the man gave five invalid samples. Police later determined the device was working properly and arrested the man for refusing to submit to the test.

Violent Bigot Arrested for Threats

A 61-year-old resident of a home on the 3600 block of 73rd Avenue SE allegedly threatened to kill two local teenagers after they had sped through the neighborhood in their cars at 7:16 p.m. During the argument the older man repeatedly referred to the victims as "faggots" and said that he was going to shoot them. Neighbors nearby confirmed the threat to shoot them were made. The man was later arrested and booked into the King County Jail.

Police Arrest Unconscious Drunk at Fireworks Show

During the , police arrested a 20-year-old resident at 10:56 p.m. who had passed out from drunkenness at . Officers made several attempts to cite the man and release him but the intoxicated man could not be roused into a conscious state and took him into custody. They also seized a glass marijuana pipe. He was taken to the  and was later released to his mother.

Drinking Patrons Steal iPhone from Bar Owners

Two men drinking at the allegedly stole an iPhone used to scan coupons from customers as they left the business. Both men had paid for their drinks at around 11:50 p.m. and sped away in a sporty-type black car.

July 10

Violent California Man Arrested in Couple's Quarrel

A 43-year old woman called 911 at around 2:37 a.m. to report her husband had repeatedly slapped her in the face and pulled her hair as they both sat in a green Mini Cooper car on the 9000 block of West Shorewood Drive. The El Dorado Hills, Calif. residents were arguing over directions home when the disagreement became physical. Police arrested the 50-year-old man on suspicion of assault and battery and he was transported and booked into the Issaquah Jail.