An Anacortes man is accused of stealing a truck with a boat and trailer attached from a North Whidbey residence June 3, according to court documents.
The 2015 Toyota Tacoma was recovered after the suspect fled from police and crashed it into a ditch, and the boat was found the next day, according to a report by a deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office.
The suspect, 31-year-old Jacob J. Hazelbaker, appeared in Island County Superior Court on June 4. Judge Christon Skinner found probable cause existed to believe Hazelbaker committed the crimes of theft of a motor vehicle and theft in the first degree. The judge set his bail at a $25,000 bond or $3,000 cash.
The deputy’s report explains that the owner of the truck and boat reported that she was at home and she saw the truck and boat leave her driveway, even though her husband wasn’t there and nobody had permission to drive the vehicle. She reported the theft immediately to police.
A trooper with the Washington State Patrol caught up with the truck on Highway 20 and chased it until the truck crashed after turning onto Sleeper Road.
The trooper chased the driver, later identified as Hazelbaker, into the woods near the crash and caught him, the deputy’s report states.
The sheriff’s office recovered the boat and trailer from Sullivan Road on Wednesday.