Island County Sheriff's deputy saves a life before losing his job

An Island County Sheriff’s deputy who was a victim of budget cuts likely saved a woman’s life during his last week on the job, according to Detective Sgt. Mike Beech.

Deputy Robert Mirabal was patrolling on Highway 525 in Greenbank early Sunday morning when he saw a woman walking on the side of the road at about 2:30. The deputy stopped to speak to the woman and noticed she had injuries to her face. With some persuasion, he talked her into going to Whidbey General Hospital.

It turned out, Beech said, that the 51-year-old woman had been severely beaten by her boyfriend. She had a fractured vertebrae, extensive bruising and bite marks all over her body. Worst of all, she suffered from a subarachnoid hematoma, which is bleeding in the area between the brain and the tissue that covers the brain.

The woman was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center for treatment. Beech said she was in satisfactory condition Monday afternoon.

“It was pretty horrific,” Beech said of the injuries. He said she may not have survived the brain injury if she hadn’t been stopped by the deputy and received prompt treatment.

Beech said the woman and her boyfriend, 38-year-old Kevin Porter, were homeless and living in a camping trailer in woods in the Greenbank area. She claimed she was sleeping and awoke to Porter beating her; he had been out drinking and returned just before the assault, according to Beech.

Beech said he and other deputies searched wooded areas all over Greenbank to find the camping trailer. They arrested Porter on suspicion of first-degree assault. He’s being held in Island County jail on $50,000 bail.

Mirabal was the only deputy who was laid off during a contentious round of budget cutting in December. He left the Coupeville Marshal’s Office last summer to take a job with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

Contact Whidbey News Times Assistant editor Jessie Stensland at jstensland@whidbeynewsgroup.com or 360.675.6611 ext. 5056.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.