Suspect in Whatcom courthouse break-in has history of vandalism, violence
A Bellingham man suspected of breaking into the Whatcom County Courthouse last weekend has a history of vandalism going back several years and causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage.
He’s also been arrested in connection with harassment and attacks against people, according to previous Bellingham Herald reporting and Superior Court records.
Emmanuel Nathaniel Gonzalez, 35, was being held without bail in the Whatcom County Jail on Wednesday, Jan. 11, after his arrest Sunday, Jan. 8, according to online records.
A court hearing was scheduled Wednesday afternoon on charges of first-degree burglary, second-degree malicious mischief and third-degree theft in connection with the weekend burglary at the courthouse, where about $4,300 in damage was done to locks and doors.
About 800 people work in the six-story building that holds administrative offices for the county executive, the County Council, district and superior courts and judges chambers, and offices for the county treasurer, auditor and assessor.
Sheriff’s deputies who had been alerted to a possible break-in found Gonzalez asleep on the sixth floor about 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, with a bag containing two machetes and a small amount of suspected methamphetamine, said Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Deb Slater.
Gonzalez apparently entered the courthouse about 10:45 a.m. Sunday through an employee access door, Slater told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
Last weekend’s break-in prompted a review of security measures and the damaged locks were being replaced with newer and more secure hardware, said Rob Ney, the county facilities manager.
According to previous Bellingham Herald reporting and Superior Court records, Gonzalez has been arrested in several violent incidents and has been convicted of several crimes, spending time in jail and state prison:
▪ He was convicted of smashing windows and causing more than $20,000 in damage in a 2018 incident at the Fairhaven Station where passengers board trains and buses.
▪ He was found guilty of second-degree burglary and possessing stolen property in 2020.
▪ Also in 2020, he was convicted of harassment and threatening people with a screwdriver at a waterfront restaurant.
▪ In 2021, he was convicted of second-degree assault in an attack on a county employee at the courthouse.
▪ In 2022, he was convicted of several gross misdemeanors for harassing Whatcom County employees.
This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
