Ferndale man arrested for allegedly brandishing knife, attempted carjacking
A Ferndale man was arrested Jan. 22 after he allegedly brandished a knife during a theft, led police on a small chase and attempted to carjack a driver before he was Tased by pursuing officers.
Calab Michael Briones, 21, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of first-degree robbery, second-degree theft, harassment, theft of a motor vehicle, and warrants for second-degree vehicle prowl and third-degree theft.
Briones is currently incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail in lieu of $10,000 bail, according to jail records.
Shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Bellingham police were called to the Fred Meyer on Bakerview Road for a man who was threatening employees with a knife. Officers were told that the man, later identified as Briones, stole two pairs of shoes and when store employees confronted him, he brandished a knife, according to Bellingham Police Lt. Claudia Murphy.
Briones left the store with the shoes, dropped them and employees attempted to stop him again outside. Briones again brandished the knife before employees called 911 and Briones fled, Murphy said.
A police officer on a motorcycle nearby saw and attempted to contact Briones, but Briones fled south on foot toward Northwest Avenue, Murphy said. The officer followed Briones and was joined by another motorcycle officer. Briones then went into a wooded area and took off his jacket before coming back out onto Northwest Avenue, Murphy said.
Briones approached the driver’s side door of a car that had pulled over to yield to emergency vehicles in the area and began to pull on the door handle and yell at the driver to open the door, Murphy said.
“Briones kept yanking on the handle and yelling at the driver to open the door, in what appeared to be an obvious attempt to take the car and escape,” Murphy said.
The driver tried to drive off, but Briones hung on and was dragged 20 feet before he let go, Murphy said. Briones then got up and tried to run away, she said. The officer then Tased Briones, who immediately stopped and was arrested without further incident, Murphy said.
“By this time Briones had brandished a knife twice at employees, fled from police officers and attempted to take an occupied car. It was clear he was a danger to the community and was willing to endanger people to aid in his flight,” Murphy said.
Store employees had caught Briones trying to steal more than $3,000 worth of merchandise during the past two weeks, and had trespassed him from the store the day before for attempted theft, Murphy said.
Briones has previous juvenile convictions for second-degree animal cruelty, second-degree theft of livestock, residential burglary, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, making false statements, unlawful drug paraphernalia use and second-degree driving with a suspended license, according to Whatcom County Superior Court records.
