Arrest attempt falls through
Published 1:30 am Friday, April 3, 2026
A man accused of threatening women and stabbing a dog is still on the lam, according to the Island County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers received a tip on March 31 that 39-year-old Oak Harbor resident James L. Mathis was hiding at a home on Libbey Road, but they didn’t find him.
After failing to appear for a hearing, Mathis is wanted on a $250,000 warrant, along with four previous outstanding warrants in lesser amounts. Prosecutors charged him in Island County Superior Court last month with animal cruelty in the first degree and two counts of felony harassment.
On March 27, the Oak Harbor Police Department issued a press release asking for public assistance in locating Mathis, who is considered “armed and dangerous.”
Three days later, deputies from the Island County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Oak Harbor Police Department responded to the tip by surrounding the Libbey Road home, according to the sheriff’s office. Out of an abundance of caution, the police brought the armored vehicle to help conduct the search.
“To protect the integrity of the scene and avoid providing an opportunity for anyone to warn Mathis of the law enforcement activity, no public announcement was made until the operation was completed,” the sheriff’s office press release states.
The Oak Harbor Police Department encourages anyone with information about Mathis’ whereabouts to come forward. If you see Mathis, do not approach him, the police warn. Immediately call 9-1-1 or contact ICOM dispatch.
According to a police report on the incident, Mathis allegedly threatened both women and said he would burn down the house with everyone inside on Feb 9. The police report also states that he assaulted one of the women and broke a windshield, but prosecutors didn’t charge him for those alleged crimes, according to court records.
During the investigation, one of the women reported that Mathis stabbed her pitbull two days prior. She reported that Mathis pushed the dog and it bit him. Mathis “went after” the dog and stabbed it with a knife, the officer wrote.
The dog was taken to an Oak Harbor veterinary office and was treated; funding came from Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation. The medical report states that the dog suffered a two-inch-long stab wound, and the veterinarian inserted drainage tubes that were removed two weeks later.
