A week after asking him to turn himself in, Bellingham police book man wanted on 31 charges
The Bellingham Police Department located and arrested a man wanted on suspicion of 31 charges in Whatcom County, including possession of a stolen vehicle, identity theft, vehicle prowl, attempting to elude police and reckless endangerment.
Whatcom County Jail records show Brandon Maurice Thompson, 28, was booked at 11:53 a.m. Monday, June 13.
The booking came nearly a week after the Bellingham Police Department took to Facebook June 7 to ask Thompson to turn himself in peacefully.
Thompson was arrested earlier Monday in Sedro-Woolley, found “in yet another stolen car,” Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email, and was transferred to the Bellingham Police Department’s custody.
According to last week’s post, Thompson was wanted for: five counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, two counts of attempting to elude police, six counts of identity theft, one count of vehicle theft, two counts of second-degree theft, one count of second-degree possession of stolen property, one count of reckless endangerment, two counts of second-degree vehicle prowl, five counts of third-degree theft, one count of third-degree malicious mischief, five counts of attempted third-degree theft.
The police post said Thompson was wanted on suspicion of six different incidents in the past two months within Bellingham:
▪ On April 10, Thompson was seen driving a stolen car to a hotel on surveillance video. Fingerprints inside the car identified him as the driver.
▪ On April 11, police received a report that an iPad and credit cards had been stolen out of a car. The iPad was located at the hotel in April 10 incident, and more than $1,000 in purchases using the stolen credit cards was made. Surveillance video showed Thompson was the one making the purchases.
▪ On April 14, surveillance video showed Thompson stealing $2,000 worth of tools out of a vehicle.
▪ On April 23, police tried to stop a Honda Civic, but had to end the pursuit due to reckless driving when the car drove into oncoming lanes of traffic. The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office was called to a house shortly afterward and reportedly found that Thompson had been the driver of the Civic at the time it attempted to elude Bellingham police and that a 6-year-old had been in the car at the time.
▪ On May 7, credit cards were reported stolen out of a car and used the next day to make purchases. Surveillance video showed Thompson driving away in a stolen Honda Prelude. Later that same day, Thompson attempted to make more purchases and was seen leaving in a stolen Honda Civic. An officer attempted to block Thompson in, but he managed to “squeeze by” and left the parking lot at high speeds, and police did not pursue.
▪ On June 5, a Washington State Patrol trooper attempted to stop Thompson in yet another stolen Honda Civic, prompting Thompson to speed off at 80 mph and pass cars by crossing into oncoming traffic.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show there was a bench warrant for his arrest out of Skagit County for charges of identity theft, possession of stolen property, vehicle prowling and making or having burglar tools from a 2020 incident.
Court records also show Thompson also was awaiting trial in Whatcom County scheduled to begin July 5 on two separate possession of a stolen vehicle charges from 2020 and 2021 and two unlawful possession of a firearm charges from 2020 and that he has previous convictions for assault, possession of stolen property, theft and burglary.
This story was originally published June 13, 2022 at 1:49 PM.
