Surprised marijuana grower and a woman’s car gouges road with rock

Island County Sheriff’s deputies on Camano Island responded to the following recently:

• On March 18, a 57- year-old woman reported goats were loose in the road near her Dallman Road residence, and that when she approached the owner’s residence, she found keys left in the front door, but no answer. Deputies arrived to find keys still in the door. No one answered their knock. Deputies also knocked on the garage, but received no answer. Dispatch informed that two medical-related calls had been made from the residence in the past, and on this information deputies entered the unlocked home. No one was there. They also opened the garage, to the prevailing odor of marijuana and a 38- year-old man rushing out to confront them in the adjoining breezeway. Deputies questioned the man about the odor of marijuana and obtained a warrant to search the garage, where they discovered and seized 38 adult plants, 11 young plants, and 40 seedlings, two growing lights and two ballasts. The case was forwarded to the prosecutor with a recom- mended charge of manufacturing a controlled substance.

• On March 17, deputies responded to reports of a possible DUI on N. East Camano Drive. They arrived on the scene to find a blue 1995 Cadillac DeVille “lurching and smoking” along, half on the shoulder and half on the road, with one wheel ‘carving a gouge in the blacktop.”

Deputies stopped the vehicle and approached the 58-year-old female driver, who was slurring her words and had bloodshot eyes.

In the ensuing interview, she said she’d been drinking scotch and admitted to hitting something, though she didn’t know what “it” was.

She thought it was probably a branch. After speaking with her attorney, the woman blew .162 and .160 in a breathalyzer and was issued a criminal citation in connection with driving under the influence. Deputies followed the gouge in the blacktop 1.2 miles back to the scene of the accident, where evidence showed the woman had driven into the ditch and struck a boulder.

• A 53-year-old woman living on Tarragon Way reported that her 17-year-old son had stolen a check from her purse and cashed it for $40 on March 12. The son couldn’t be found, and deputies forwarded the case to Island County Prosecuting Attorney’s juvenile division for review, recommending charges in connection with forgery and theft.

• On March 22, a 23-yearold man reported that he had seen his 17-year-old brother walking down the street, and that the brother had a warrant out. Once the warrant was confirmed, deputies arrested the boy and transported him to Island County Juvenile Detention Center in Coupeville for booking in connection with the warrant.

• Deputies stopped a blue 1998 Chevrolet Prizm at 104th Drive NW. The registered owner, an 18-year-old woman, was cited in connection with driving with license suspended, second-degree.