WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Bellingham Police Department (BPD already suspected 2 men in several residential and business burglaries when they came upon surveillance video that appeared to show the 2 inside a business about 3am on June 3rd.
According to an affidavit of probable cause for arrest filed in Whatcom County Superior Court, BPD officers were dispatched to a report of a triggered glass break alarm at the business in the Irongate business district. 2 men were seen fleeing the area as officers arrived. Officers chased but lost sight of the suspects. Upon returning to the business, officers located a broken window and a large safe was found outside the front door.
Unique shoes seen worn by 1 of the suspects in the surveillance video helped identify him as Christopher Shon Qualls, age 30.
A car parked outside the business was impounded pending a search warrant. A second car also seen parked outside the business was later seen parked outside a second suspect’s residence. He is identified as William Jay Hagen, age 43.
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Click for more informationLater that morning, Qualls called 911 to report his car had been stolen. A BPD officer and an investigator arranged to meet with him to take his report. During the meeting, Quall reportedly handed his phone voluntarily to the officer. He was then advised the phone was being seized as evidence in a burglary investigation.
A search warrant served on the phone’s contents revealed text messages between Quall and Hagen reportedly showing them planning and carrying out several burglaries, including the 1 on June 3rd and a residential burglary where several firearms were reportedly taken.
Hagen and Quall were arrested and booked into Whatcom County Jail on June 17th charged with suspicion of the following crimes.
- Hagen
- 2nd-degree malicious mischief
- 2nd-degree burglary
- 1st-degree theft
- voyeurism
- Qualls
- 2nd-degree malicious mischief
- 2nd-degree burglary
- 1st-degree theft
- voyeurism
The voyeurism charges were due to the men being suspected of having secretly recorded an employee of a business in a compromising position. This was supposedly done in the hope of forcing the employee to provide information which would aid in future burglaries at the business.
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As of June 26th, both men remained in custody at the jail. Hagen’s bail is set at $250,000 bond or $25,000 cash. Quall’s bail is set at $500,000 bond or $50,000 cash.
At the time of his arrest, Hagen was out of custody after posting a $1,000 cash bail while awaiting trial on felony 3rd-degree rape and gross misdemeanor 4th-degree assault charges stemming from a March 20th incident. He has prior felony convictions for assault, possession of a stolen vehicle, 1st-degree robbery and malicious mischief.
Qualls has also been convicted of multiple felony crimes including theft, burglary and possession of stolen property.