BELLINGHAM - A woman was left bloodied and bruised after a temporary housemate attacked her with a skateboard Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 28, in the parking lot of a Mexican restaurant in Bellingham, police said.
The attacker, 27, remained at large Wednesday. His name had not been released.
On Tuesday he drove with the victim - and their significant others - to Mi Mexico, 241 Telegraph Road, where they planned to panhandle, said police spokesman Mark Young. The victim and her boyfriend had been letting the other couple stay with them so they didn't have to be homeless.
At 4 p.m. the group got into an argument in the restaurant parking lot over the alleged theft of some benzodiazepine from the suspect's girlfriend.
As the argument "spilled over," Young said, the victim told the other couple that she was evicting them because she didn't like being accused of stealing drugs.
A shoving match broke out. The suspect attacked the other man first, but when the victim stepped in to stop the fight, the suspect turned his attention to her, Young said.
He smacked her with his skateboard, headbutted her and tried to strangle her, she later told police. She was bleeding and "had obviously been assaulted," Young said. An ambulance was sent to the scene but the 24-year-old woman declined medical aid.
By the time officers arrived, the suspect had fled. Police have probable cause for his arrest, but Young declined to release his name until a warrant is issued.
Anyone with information about the suspect's whereabouts should call 911.
