Whatcom County man in custody following report of sexual assault in Blaine

Whatcom County authorities recently arrested a Blaine man suspected of rape and unlawful imprisonment.

Officers with the Blaine Police Department were dispatched to a residence in the city around 7:30 p.m. Aug. 20 following a report of a sex crime. Officers interviewed witnesses and identified the suspect as Arturo Osiel Valencia Barrera, 35, according to court documents.

Police suspect Barrera sexually assaulted a person Aug. 19 while they were asleep at a friend’s residence, according to court documents.

Barrera has been charged with second-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment and harassment in the form of threats to kill.

He remains in custody at Whatcom County Jail with bail listed at $250,000.

Jack Belcher

The Bellingham Herald

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Jack Belcher covers transportation and recreation for The Bellingham Herald. He graduated from Central Washington University with a degree in digital journalism in 2020 and joined the staff in September 2022. Belcher resides in Bellingham.