Delivery driver alerts police to alleged thieves

BOTHELL — An alert FedEx delivery driver helped police catch four suspects in a theft Wednesday, officials said.

The delivery person called 911 at about 12:45 p.m. after spotting a group of people drilling into a safe in the back of an Lexus sports utility vehicle in the 1300 block of 192nd Street SE, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

Deputies determined it was the same SUV that was reported stolen last week, she said. The SUV also had been spotted at a burglary earlier Wednesday in King County.

Four people ran from the scene but were later caught by deputies, Hover said.

One woman and three men were arrested, all believed to be in their late teens, she said. The woman and one of the men had felony arrest warrants.

Everett: Reardon veto overridden

A veto by Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon was overridden by the Snohomish County Council on Monday.

It was the first time the council has made such a move since Reardon was elected.

In a 5-0 vote, the County Council reaffirmed its Nov. 5 decision that council members can participate and vote in official meetings via telephone.

Reardon vetoed the measure Nov. 20, his fifth veto in four years. The County Council received notice of the veto at 4 p.m. Nov. 21, the day before Thanksgiving. In his letter, Reardon argued against voting by phone because, he said, elected officials have a solemn duty to appear in person.

As approved, the measure allows each council member participate by phone twice each calendar year if they give notice. It can only be used if a quorum is physically present in the council chambers.

Police seek suspect in bank robbery

Police are searching for a man who robbed a bank in Everett Wednesday night.

The robbery was reported about 7 p.m. at the bank inside Fred Meyer in the 12900 block of Bothell Everett Highway. The man reportedly passed a demand note to a teller, according to Everett police.

No arrests were made. Details about the man could not be released late Wednesday.

The robbery remains under investigation.

Police earn national accreditation

The Everett Police Department has completed a multi-year process to attain recognition by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies Inc.

The achievement was announced at the agencies’ November meeting in Colorado, Everett Police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

The accreditation requires that the agency conforms to internationally recognized professional police standards, he said.

Everett Police Chief Jim Scharf said several people in the department helped achieve the recognition.

“I am very proud of the hard work and professionalism displayed by the officers of the Everett Police Department,” he said.

Police work to cut response times

Everett police hope to cut response times for people who call 911 with nonemergency requests.

A new customer service unit is being launched as part of the $2 million the City County added to the department’s budget last year.

The unit, led by Sgt. Dan Johnson, will answer questions from people who may be reluctant to call 911 or who are reporting calls that aren’t emergencies, such as vehicle prowls without a suspect, Everett police Sgt. Robert Goetz said.

“Our goal is to reduce our response time to nonemergency calls for service and at the same time free up our officers on the street,” he said.

The unit will be staffed from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and can be reached at 425-257-7490.

Gold Bar: Police search Amtrak train

An Amtrak train was stopped in Gold Bar on Wednesday night when a suspicious package was reported on board, according to the Washington State Patrol.

The State Patrol bomb squad investigated the package and found it to be a normal electronic device, Washington State Patrol trooper Keith Leary said.

Mountlake Terrace: Body identified

A body found alongside I-5 has been identified as Donald Howard Parker, 48, according to the Snohomish County medical examiner’s office.

Howard’s body was found Nov. 21 just off the shoulder from the 220th Street SW offramp. His body was in a sleeping bag, the foot wrapped in duct tape.

The cause of his death remains under investigation, the medical examiner said.

Investigators believe Howard may have been a customer of two Lynnwood men who were at the center of a federal drug and gun investigation. Federal prosecutors have charged William Lee Ballinger, 63, with three counts of illegal possession of a firearm. David Lee Fresonke, 57, is charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute.

No charges have been filed in connection with Howard’s death.

Mountlake Terrace police are still investigating how Howard died.

Snohomish: Police seek robbery suspect

Police are looking for a man who robbed the Sub Shop restaurant Tuesday morning, officials said.

The man went into the restaurant about 11 a.m. in the 1400 block of Avenue D and demanded money at gunpoint, said Snohomish police officer Mary Gandee. The man made off with an undisclosed amount of money. No one was injured.

Police looked for the man, using a dog and a Snohomish County sheriff’s helicopter but were not successful, she said.

The man is described as thin, white and about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with brown hair. He was wearing a green sweatshirt and a ball cap.

Anyone with information is asked to call Snohomish Police at 360-568-0888.

Sultan: Shoes lead deputy to pot bust

A pair of shoes helped police uncover dozens of marijuana plants inside a Sultan house.

Snohomish County sheriff’s deputy Terry Haldeman went to a house Saturday to arrest a man for investigation of harassment and serve him with a no-contact order, sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.

The man came outside barefoot when Haldeman arrived. Later the Sultan man asked the deputy to retrieve his shoes from inside the house. Haldeman went inside and immediately smelled marijuana, Hover said.

Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force searched the home and found 70 marijuana plants along with packaged marijuana and other drug paraphernalia.

The man, 53, was booked into Snohomish County Jail for investigation of harassment. Information about the dope seizure will be forwarded to the prosecutor’s office for possible charges.

From Herald staff reports