‘Did you get the quad????’ text reads on cellphone left behind during alleged theft
A Blaine man was arrested Saturday after he left his cellphone while allegedly stealing an ATV and tools from a Lynden berry farm in September.
Trenten Dean Pope, 34, was arrested Nov. 9 on suspicion of first-degree theft. Pope’s first appearance was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
On Sept. 11, a Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputy was called to a theft report in the 1100 block of West Badger Road. The person reported that his ATV and several tools were stolen from his 40-acre berry farm sometime the night before, according to Chief Deputy Kevin Hester. The estimated value of the stolen items was approximately $5,400, Hester said.
The tools were stolen from inside a storage trailer on the property in the berry field, Hester said. Near the trailer, the property owner found a cellphone on the ground. The phone didn’t belong to him or his employees.
A search warrant revealed photos, messages and accounts that showed Pope owned the phone, which he dropped while committing the alleged theft, Hester said.
One message of Pope’s phone from Sept. 11 asked “Did you get the quad????” Hester said. Pope did not report the phone lost or stolen, Hester said, but the ATV was later recovered.
A warrant issued for Pope’s arrest, and he was taken into custody without incident Saturday at a house near Ferndale.
