Man accused of early-morning burglary in Bellingham got a surprise — and handcuffs
Rustin Rafert woke up at about 3 a.m. to the sound of metal rattling. They didn’t think much of it — until they heard a few thuds followed by the noise of shattering glass.
Rafert, who lives near L&L Libations, the bar connected to Leaf & Ladle at 113 N State St. in Bellingham, said they “instantly knew what was happening” — the bar was being robbed. They said they quickly got dressed, told their partner to call police and ran downstairs, where they found the door to the business had been broken.
There was glass everywhere, and Rafert said they saw a shadowy figure back behind the bar. They screamed at the person to get out, and the man — later identified by police as 43-year-old Gregory Keefe — came forward.
Rafert said Keefe told them that he didn’t steal anything and that he was “just leaving.” He tried to go out one of the doors, but Rafert blocked him. Keefe went to another exit and managed to get outside, and Rafert chased after him.
Rafert was able to wrap their arms around Keefe and throw him onto the ground. At one point, Keefe allegedly bit Rafert’s arm, but Rafert was able to keep him pinned until police arrived.
Keefe was booked into Whatcom County Jail shortly before 4 a.m. on suspicion of burglary, theft, possession of burglary tools, malicious mischief, fourth-degree assault and drug possession.
Rafert told The Herald that they were acting on pure adrenaline and concern for their ex-wife, who co-owns Leaf & Ladle and lives by the bar. Rafert works at both the restaurant and bar.
“There’s people that I care about, and I would much rather protect them, even at the expense of me getting hurt or something,” Rafert said.
Leaf & Ladle co-owner Linda Grosjean-Melim, the mother of Rafert’s ex, said this was the second time this year that someone has broken into the establishment. In fact, the August robbery — in which someone whom police have not yet identified took $1,000 — was carried out by an individual prying open the same door that was shattered early Tuesday morning.
Though police have not concluded anything, Grosjean-Melim and Rafert said they suspect Keefe was behind both robberies.
Keefe was previously charged with multiple strings of burglaries across Fairhaven and Bellingham. He was out on bail for an October 2024 burglary charge when he broke into L&L Libations.
Grosjean-Melim said she was thankful that friends were able to help board up the shattered door within a few hours of the robbery, though she wished police had resources or contacts to provide in this type of situation. As of Tuesday afternoon, most of the shattered glass was swept up, and the area of the bar was blocked off by sideways tables.
Grosjean-Melim said she hopes that insurance will be able to cover the damage, and that incidents like this show more than ever the importance of supporting local businesses.
“We feel very lucky we have a really supportive community,” Grosjean-Melim said.
This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 5:20 AM.