Man suspected of abusing a young child at Bellingham business
A young child was taken to the emergency department after a man reportedly physically abused them last weekend in a north Bellingham business.
Bellingham Police booked Lester Robert Olson, 38, into Whatcom County Jail Wednesday, Feb. 3, on suspicion of second-degree assault of a child, and jail records show he was released Thursday on $10,000 bail.
Officers responded at approximately 6:38 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 30, to St. Joseph hospital to investigate a reported assault of a child, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
They found that the victim, who is younger than 13 and known to Olson, had gone with several family members to a gathering in the 4300 block of Meridian Street, Murphy reported.
Olson came into the location looking for the victim’s mother, Murphy reported, and the victim went up to Olson and asked him a question. It was then that Olson reportedly grabbed the victim near the bicep, shook them and pushed them away, causing the victim to lose balance.
Olson continued to argue with the victim’s family members in an attempt to speak to the victim’s mother, according to Murphy, before he eventually left the establishment.
The victim was treated at the hospital for a muscle strain, similar to a whiplash injury, Muprhy reported, and was in “substantial pain at the ER.”
Resources
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollns.org.
▪ Child Protective Services: Washington state hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, 866-829-2153.
