Bellingham man suspected of stealing Cintas van reportedly found wearing 3 uniforms
A Bellingham man suspected of stealing a Cintas van in Bellingham was reportedly found wearing three stolen uniforms and riding a stolen ATV in Deming Tuesday following an alleged crime spree that included breaking into a house and breaking into another car.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office booked Jesus Enciso-Torres Jr., 30, into Whatcom County Jail Dec. 1 on suspicion of residential burglary, second-degree vehicle prowl, third-degree theft and theft of a motor vehicle. Jail records show Enciso-Torres also had a warrant for a DUI and is being held in lieu of a $15,000 cash-only bail.
Bellingham police were called at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday to the 1200 block of North Forest Street for the report of a work truck that had been stolen, according to the department’s incident log.
Unconfirmed emergency radio broadcasts at the time said the truck was a Cintas van, used for hauling and delivering uniforms and linens to businesses.
At approximately 9 a.m., a Deming homeowner in the 3200 block of Hillside Road reported seeing the stolen van in a nearby field, sheriff’s office spokesperson Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
Shortly after reporting seeing the van, the homeowner reported hearing a noise inside his house and noticing some items missing, according to Slater, before the homeowner saw Enciso-Torres attempting to steal his vehicle from the driveway.
The homeowner confronted Enciso-Torres, wrestled him out of his car and recovered the items that had been stolen out of his house, Slater reported, before Enciso-Torres fled the scene and was followed by one of the homeowner’s neighbors.
The neighbor witnessed Enciso-Torres steal an ATV from another home, according to Slater. Enciso-Torres reportedly rode the ATV for a short distance, before he stopped, broke into another car, then got back on the ATV and rode until being stopped by the responding deputies.
While arresting him, Slater reported deputies found Enciso-Torres had the keys to the stolen van in his possession and was wearing three stolen uniforms.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show Enciso-Torres is awaiting a scheduled Dec. 8 arraignment on possession of a stolen vehicle charges in Skagit County for a Nov. 29 incident.
