Burglary suspect nabbed after he flees on surfboard

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, April 26, 2006

CAMANO ISLAND – Island County sheriff’s detectives believe they plucked a big fish from Elger Bay on Tuesday.

A 21-year-old man who tried to flee from police by paddling into the bay on a stolen surfboard also is a suspect in a string of daylight burglaries that happened in Camano Island last year, sheriff’s spokeswoman Jan Smith said.

The man was arrested about 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after Island County sheriff’s deputies chased him from a house he reportedly had broken into near Camano Island State Park, Smith said.

The man may have fired a gunshot at police before he grabbed a surfboard and attempted a watery getaway, Smith said.

He eventually gave up and returned to the shore, where he was arrested.

The man, who lives on Camano Island, was booked on suspicion of residential burglary, first-degree theft and resisting arrest.

The man has been under surveillance by detectives. Investigators followed him Tuesday when two people picked the man up from the house where he was staying and drove him to the state park, Smith said.

The two people drove away, but detectives saw the man apparently break into a nearby home, Smith said.

One of the detectives stopped and detained the two people who drove the man to the park. They were later released. Charges are possible, Smith said.

The burglary suspect ran out the back door of a home when a detective approached, Smith said.

The man might have fired a gunshot at detectives as they gave chase, Smith said.

“It appeared a shot was fired by the burglar, but no weapon was found,” she said.

A search dog from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office joined the chase, along with other deputies.

Police got a break when a man reported seeing someone steal a surfboard from a home on the shore of Elger Bay. The caller said the man ran into the bay with the surfboard and began paddling south.

From the shore, deputies spotted a man on the surfboard, and recognized him as the person they were chasing. The man paddled back to shore about a half-hour later and surrendered, Smith said.

Police believe he might have dumped a gun into the bay, Smith said.

Reporter Scott Pesznecker: 425-339-3436 or spesznecker@heraldnet.com.