Man arrested for lewd act in downtown Blaine

 A 41-year-old man was charged with a misdemeanor after allegedly committing a lewd act in downtown Blaine around 7:23 p.m. March 28. The man has not a posted $500 bond and remains in jail, as of April 2. 

A 22-year-old woman was driving northbound in the 900 block of Peace Portal Drive, near the Clark Street parklet, when the man in a green trench coat walked about 100 feet in front of her car, made eye contact, pulled his penis out and began masturbating, according to the police report. The woman called 911 and told police the incident disturbed her. 

A Blaine police officer located the man near the 1100 block of Peace Portal Drive and placed him under arrest. The police officer wrote in the report that the man ranted about the government, as well as threatened physical harm to the officer and called the officer defamatory names. 

The Northern Light does not typically name individuals charged with misdemeanors. 

The man was booked into Whatcom County Jail around 9 p.m. March 28 for allegedly committing a lewd act, which is in violation of Blaine Municipal Code, per jail booking data. The man can be released on a $500 appearance bond or in lieu of $100 cash bail. 

Blaine Police Department sergeant Tim Richardson said police have contacted the man four times about disorderly conduct and threats since they first communicated with him in August 2023. 

Blaine Municipal Code defines a lewd act, in part, as a person who intentionally performs any lewd act where the act could be observed by any member of the public. 

Washington state law defines indecent exposure as when someone “intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm.” Indecent exposure becomes a gross misdemeanor if the person exposes themselves to a child under 14 years old and it’s their first offense, and becomes a class C felony if the person has previously been convicted of indecent exposure or a sex offense.