BELLINGHAM, Wash. — A Bellingham man was initially arrested and booked into jail, facing charges in Bellingham Municipal Court. Then it was discovered he had several prior DUI convictions, and the charge was upgraded to felony DUI, the charges in the lower court dismissed and a new case opened in Whatcom County Superior Court.
According to documents filed in Superior Court, on January 1, 2026, shortly after midnight, Bellingham Police were dispatched to a report of a car crash at E Chestnut and N Forest Streets in Bellingham. It was determined that a 36-year-old suspect had driven a car into another car that was stopped at a red light.
The suspect was determined to have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.275, over 3 times the Washington State legal limit of 0.08.
According to Whatcom County Jail records, he is facing charges of driving while his license was suspended, operating a vehicle without a required ignition interlock and driving under the influence (DUI) in Bellingham Municipal Court.
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Jail records also show those charges were dismissed and a new case opened in Whatcom County Superior Court with a felony DUI charge. A supplement to an affidavit of probable cause for arrest noted the suspect had 3 prior DUI convictions in local courts since 2014.
DUI is considered a felony offense when there have been three or more prior convictions within 15 years according to Washington law (recently increased from ten years).
The new case was filed on January 9, 2026, and an arrest warrant issued and mailed to a last known address.
On January 16, 2026, the suspect appeared in court where bail was set at $100,000 bond or $10,000 cash.
As of January 26, 2026, the suspect remains in custody.
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