Alleged vandal arrested for busting fire hydrants open
BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- A 19-year-old man is in custody and another man is on the run after a Thursday night vandalism spree left four Bellingham homes damaged.
Dispatchers began receiving several calls to 911 that open fire hydrants on the street were flooding their basements, said Officer Mark Young with the Bellingham Police Department. The first call came in at 11:30 p.m. in the 700 block of 17th Street, then a few minutes later, another call came in from the 500 block of Chuckanut Drive.
In all, five hydrants were busted open, flooding four nearby homes and causing hundreds of thousands worth in damage.
As one officer was responding to the scene, he saw a truck leaving the area. As he started to follow the truck, it sped off, then stopped abruptly at the 1200 bock of Harris Avenue, Young said. The passenger ran away, but the officer was able to get to the driver.
The man, identified as Garret M. Dorough, was arrested for DUI, but officers found several fire hydrant caps in the bed of the truck in plain view, Young said.
Dorough was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for investigation of DUI, marijuana possession and several counts of malicious mischief. His passenger is still being sought.
Dispatchers began receiving several calls to 911 that open fire hydrants on the street were flooding their basements, said Officer Mark Young with the Bellingham Police Department. The first call came in at 11:30 p.m. in the 700 block of 17th Street, then a few minutes later, another call came in from the 500 block of Chuckanut Drive.
In all, five hydrants were busted open, flooding four nearby homes and causing hundreds of thousands worth in damage.
As one officer was responding to the scene, he saw a truck leaving the area. As he started to follow the truck, it sped off, then stopped abruptly at the 1200 bock of Harris Avenue, Young said. The passenger ran away, but the officer was able to get to the driver.
The man, identified as Garret M. Dorough, was arrested for DUI, but officers found several fire hydrant caps in the bed of the truck in plain view, Young said.
Dorough was booked into the Whatcom County Jail for investigation of DUI, marijuana possession and several counts of malicious mischief. His passenger is still being sought.