— by Lin McNulty —
A bit of criminal activity and rudeness seems to have invaded Eastsound on the weekend of June 14, as shoplifters and drunken dine-and-dashers thought they would have a heyday on Orcas Island. Little did they know that islanders aren’t stupid.
Farmers Market
Two women working as team, one making a mess as a distraction, made their rounds at the Saturday Farmers Market taking and pocketing items from the booths. An unknown number of vendors were affected. The two women weren’t the only ones working the market as one vendor says she knows that a man took three bracelets from her display.
Orcas Arts
With merchandise bulging out of her pockets, Erica Lyons recognized the 64-year-old woman in her shop at Orcas Arts from earlier in the day at the Farmers Market. As horrified onlookers watched, the woman continued to stuff her pockets, while pulling out a glass pipe of marijuana and lighting up. Erica immediately contacted her mother to call the Sheriff’s Office as the woman continued her stupidly suspicious activity. With her dastardly deed seemingly completed, the woman left the store just as Deputy Crowe was coming in. She was immediately taken into custody and questioned, wherein she confessed that she considers herself to be a modern day Robin Hood; she steals merchandise to sell and gives the money to underprivileged kids. All stolen property was thankfully recovered.
Lower Tavern
It was about 9:30 at night and they were not very polite to begin with, being obviously loud and obnoxious. This behavior of three unknown males in their late 30s immediately captured the attention and suspicion of Lower Tavern bartender Lily Ryder. After ordering food and laughing about the food they were dumping on the floor, the next thing Lily noticed was that they were gone—without having paid their tab.
The quick-acting bartender grabbed the check from their table and took off after them down the street. As she approached them, she overheard them laughing and joking about what they thought they had just successfully pulled off. Luckily, Deputy Johns was sitting nearby in his patrol car and Lily was able to get them to come back in and pay their tab. She then called the other bars in town to warn them of this objectionable behavior.
I hope they didn’t just let these people go after recovering the items. The only way people learn is to pay a price for their actions. If they were let go, then indeed the joke is on us.
Good those Lower Tavern folks were found. I think they should be required to pay the tavern more doing such irresponsible game!
You ROCK Lily!
Too bad charges couldn’t have been pressed in both of these incidences where the people were caught!