Large police presence in Skagit Co. ends in arrest of car theft suspect

Police arrest suspect in Mount Vernon after stolen car reports

A stolen vehicle investigation led to a massive police presence outside a house in Mount Vernon on Wednesday.

SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. - A stolen vehicle investigation led to a massive police presence outside a house in Mount Vernon on Wednesday.

According to authorities, there was a report of a stolen vehicle in the Mount Vernon area around 10:07 a.m. The owner called police and told them his car had been stolen overnight, and he also had firearms stored in it.

The owner called around 11:30 a.m. reporting that he located his car on Francis Rd, between Mount Vernon and Mount Vernon, and said he saw someone inside.

Mount Vernon Police arrived and attempted a traffic stop, but the suspect sped away, crashing through a gate and driving into the woods. He then got out of the car and ran.

The Whatcom County Sheriff's Office sent a K9 team to help locate the suspect, and after a five-hour track, eventually found the suspect at a house on Francis Rd, just east of Nookachamps Creek. The suspect was arrested around 5:10 p.m. and taken into custody without incident.

Authorities searched the stolen vehicle and recovered the firearms.

The suspect, a 35-year-old white man, was booked into Skagit County Jail for theft of a motor vehicle, attempting to elude police, and three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.