A man who pleaded guilty to breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s Custer home and threatening to kill her has been sentenced to six years in prison.
Scott James Alderson, 59, pleaded guilty to two counts of felony harassment, felony stalking, second-degree assault and second-degree burglary, all with domestic violence enhancements, on September 16 in Whatcom County Superior Court. Judge Jennifer Slattery sentenced Alderson to six years in prison and 1.5 years of community custody.
Alderson’s charges stem from his arrest on October 31, 2022, when he broke into an ex-girlfriend’s home in the 2500 block of Birch Bay-Lynden Road in Custer.
The following information is provided by the affidavit of probable cause filed in superior court.
Alderson had sent her texts on October 31, 2022, threatening to show up to the woman’s house and kill her. He later arrived at her home, gaining entry through an unlocked front door.
The woman grabbed a handgun for self-defense, but Alderson knocked her down, pushing the gun out of her hands and tried grabbing her cell phone. The woman briefly retrieved the gun, but Alderson forced it out of her hands and pointed it at her while she was on the ground. Alderson then tossed the gun on the bed and held the woman down, resulting in bloody cuts and scrapes on her body.
The woman’s roommate heard her scream for help and rushed to the room with a hatchet. Alderson tried taking the hatchet, but the roommate used its dull side to strike him. Alderson tried punching the roommate before leaving the home.
Later that evening, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Bellingham Police Department officers detained Alderson, who admitted to assaulting the woman and her roommate, though he denied pointing a gun at her. He said he was trying to delete texts from her phone.
Alderson was booked into Whatcom County Jail for first-degree burglary and assault in the first and fourth degrees. He was released the next day on a $55,000 appearance bond.
If you or someone you know is affected by domestic or sexual violence, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) 24-hour hotline is available at 360/715-1563 or 877/715-1563.
Brigid Collins Family Support Center, a Bellingham-based nonprofit working to end child abuse, can be reached at 360/734-4616 and brigidcollins.org.
Lummi Victims of Crime has a 24-hour helpline at 360/312-2015.
The National Domestic Violence Helpline operates a chat line at thehotline.org/help.
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