Police: Man accused of stealing car in Bellingham also will face unlawful imprisonment charge
A man accused of stealing a vehicle in Bellingham and driving to Ferndale with a teen in the back seat is facing two felony charges in Whatcom County.
A police investigation revealed the owner of the car — the teen’s father — started the vehicle to warm it up with his son in the backseat on Saturday, Nov. 23. The owner then left the car to lock up his place of business nearby in the 1300 block of North Garden Street, according to Lt. Claudia Murphy with the Bellingham Police Department.
While the car was running, a man who was known to the owner and his son got in and drove off with the son still in the backseat. The suspect, later identified as Daniel Yanez Aranguren, didn’t talk to the boy while he was driving around, according to Murphy. The boy was not in fear of being kidnapped but he was unable to leave the moving vehicle.
The owner called 911 around 10:17 a.m. As police were en route to where the car had been stolen, the owner called again to report the car had been driven about 12 miles to Nickles Street in Ferndale. His son had called him once he and the suspect arrived in Ferndale, according to Murphy.
Aranguren, 31, turned the car off when he arrived, and was unable to restart the engine since he didn’t have the key fob, Murphy said.
Police located the car on Nickels Street in Ferndale, along with the teen and the suspect, who was charged with unlawful imprisonment and taking a motor vehicle without permission, both class C felonies.
Editor’s note (Dec. 11): This story has been updated to include the suspect’s name and charges.
This story was originally published November 26, 2024 at 11:15 AM.
.jpg)