A suspect is in custody after a man dies this morning from a random assault near Lakeway Drive. Bellingham Police received several calls today about a man who randomly assaulted a woman and a man in two different locations within minutes of each other. While responding to those incidents, another citizen called to report finding a gravely injured male on a trail off Meador Street. By the time officers arrived, this man had succumbed to his injuries and was dead. Jesse R. Reyes, 33, was identified as the suspect and taken into custody a short distance from his apartment.
At 11:05 this morning, BPD was called to the 800 block of Lakeway where a woman was reporting being hit in the face by a stranger who rode off on a bicycle. Shortly after that, another 9-1-1 call came in reporting a man was assaulted near Lincoln and Potter Streets by a male suspect matching description of the first assaulter. The female sustained minor injuries and the male sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries from being assaulted by Reyes.
By 11:19 am, another 9-1-1 call from a citizen who found a gravely injured man on a trail near Meador Street. Officers responded to the trail and discovered the man had died of his injuries before they arrived. Witnesses reported seeing a male matching the description of the other assaults walk away with blood on his clothing and hands.
Patrol officers saturated the area, a K-9 team was called in and Whatcom County Sheriff's Office Deputies assisted with setting a containment perimeter. A BPD patrol officer spotted the suspect and, with the assistance of the K-9 Handler and an off-duty BPD officer, took Reyes into custody without incident.
The details of these incidents are still unfolding as detectives and crime scene investigators are actively working the investigation. It does not appear any of the victim's today knew each other or Jesse Reyes. Further information will be published when it becomes available.
Jesse R. Reyes, 33, was booked into the Whatcom County Jail on probable cause for Murder in the 1st Degree, Assault 2nd degree and Assault 4th degree.
