Blaine Police Say Reported Trail Assault Was Fabricated; Man Arrested

BLAINE, Wash. — Blaine Police say a knife attack reported Monday at Montfort Park never occurred. The investigation instead led officers to arrest the man who reported it on suspicion of false reporting.

Officers subsequently arrested a 26-year-old man and booked him into the Whatcom County Jail. He faces a charge of False Reporting and Abuse under Blaine Municipal Code 9.08.035.

The Story Started Raising Suspicions

Blaine Police say officers spent two days searching for a suspect. Investigators ultimately determined, however, that no suspect was involved because the reported assault did not occur. Investigators canvassed the neighborhood, pulled hours of security footage, and interviewed nearly every homeowner and business in the area. None of it matched the reported account.

• Neighbors and their security cameras never saw the man or his vehicle in the area he described.
• Investigators found no crime scene, despite a thorough search.
• No blood evidence turned up where the man said he parked.
• K9 teams picked up no suspect scent, because there was no suspect.
• The man’s injuries didn’t match the assault he described.
• Security footage showed the man arriving at the park and calling 911 afterward from a different direction than he had claimed.

The Investigation

Two outside agencies and a fire district responded to the initial reported threat.

Blaine Police thanked the Bellingham Police Department and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office for lending K9 teams and other resources to the search.

“We take false allegations very seriously, and we’re glad to have reached a safe resolution in this matter with no real threat to the public.”

— Blaine Police Department

PNW Daily’s earlier coverage of this case was based on Blaine Police’s initial report of the attack. This article reflects the department’s updated findings under case number 26J04399.

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