Bellingham police reportedly thwart residential burglary, then see man run across I-5
An alert neighbor in Bellingham’s Samish neighborhood helped police thwart a suspected residential burglary that reportedly led to a man running across Interstate 5 Wednesday afternoon.
The Bellingham Police Department booked Temecula, California, resident Justin Tyler Hart, 30, and Burlington resident Cailin Taylor Ann Benes, 25, into Whatcom County Jail Oct. 27 on suspicion of charges including residential burglary, theft and malicious mischief. Jail records show Benes was released Thursday on personal recognizance, while Hart is being held in lieu of $2,500 bail.
Officers were called at 12:03 p.m. Wednesday to the 1800 block of 35th Street for the report of a burglary after a neighbor noted Hart and Benes pull up in a car with California plates and walk up to a house, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email Thursday.
The neighbor reported the two split up, with Hart going to the back of the home and Benes to the car, Murphy reported, before the neighbor heard glass break and called 911.
Officers arrived and saw Hart running from the home, according to Murphy, and they set up a perimeter in the area and called for K-9 Destro to track him.
While they were waiting, one of the officers saw Hart run over the Old Fairhaven Parkway overpass onto Interstate 5, Murphy reported, and Hart continued to run west over northbound I-5 as the officer tried to get him to stop.
When Destro arrived, the K-9 was able to lead officers to a shed, where officers could see the door had been kicked in, according to Murphy.
Officers surround the shed and repeatedly called for Hart to come out and warned that they would use force if he did not, according to Murphy, but Hart did not come out and did not respond to officers.
Officers used an irritant in the shed and gave more commands and warnings, but Hart did not respond, Murphy reported, so officers sent in Destro, who located Hart hiding in a loft inside the shed. Hart was then taken into custody without further incident.
Meanwhile, officers found Benes in the car along with a walkie-talkie matching one that police believe Hart had left inside the house, according to Murphy, leading officers to believe Benes was looking out for Hart while he was inside the house.
Police also found that Hart and Benes had stolen more than $1,000 worth of property from inside the house, Murphy reported.
