WA delivery driver shot near Deception Pass, suspect arrested

Delivery driver shot near Deception Pass, suspect arrested

Deputies arrested a man accused of shooting a delivery driver and stealing his truck near Deception Pass State Park on Wednesday.

ISLAND COUNTY, Wash. - Deputies arrested a man accused of shooting a delivery driver and stealing his truck near Deception Pass State Park on Wednesday.

According to the Island County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO), around 6:13 a.m., deputies responded to reports of a robbery and shooting near the corner of SR-20 and Cornet Bay Road. This area is adjacent to Deception Pass State Park.

Authorities say the initial report came from a motorist who called 911, reporting that the gunshot victim was in his car and heading to Island Hospital in Anacortes. While on the phone, the caller relayed information from the victim to the authorities.

The victim said he was a delivery truck driver who had stopped near the roadside when the suspect approached him, shot him, and then drove the delivery truck southbound. Authorities say the victim provided deputies with a basic description of the suspect.

While deputies and Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers were responding to the area, another 911 caller reported seeing a delivery truck that had veered off the road on Monkey Hill Road, with the engine running, the door wide open, but no driver in sight.

According to the ICSO, another 911 caller reported seeing a man, matching the suspect’s description, stealing a bicycle and removing clothes as he rode away.

Officers eventually located the suspect, 23-year-old Adam Belanger, on Imperial Lane. After deputies took the suspect to Whidbey Health Hospital for evaluation, they booked him into Island County Jail.

Authorities say Belanger faces potential charges of first-degree robbery and first-degree assault.