Blaine man suspected of multiple attempts to elude and burglary arrested in Bellingham

BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Officials with the Bellingham Police issued a detailed statement regarding the recent apprehension of a Blaine man who had been suspected of eluding law enforcement on multiple occasions, burglary and other crimes.

Over the course of the past two months, several Whatcom County law enforcement agencies have been looking for [Carl Ellis] WOODS [age 36] to arrest him on several felonies, including burglary 1st degree (from Blaine, where he burglarized a home and assaulted the resident by strangulation,) and several counts of attempting to elude pursuing police vehicle. Each time an agency saw WOODS driving, he drove so recklessly it was too dangerous to continue the pursuit and they were terminated by the officers. In the early morning hours of 12-27-24, a WWU officer attempted to stop a silver Subaru (which WOODS drives,) displaying a stolen license plate. The driver of the Subaru turned its lights off and drove recklessly through the downtown corridor and all the way to Iowa and James Streets. The pursuit was terminated.

On 12-27-24 at approximately 5:00 p.m., BPD officers responded to an in-progress residential burglary and developed probable cause to arrest WOODS for residential burglary and attempted residential burglary (see case summary for 24B-75735 below.) WOODS left the burglary scene in a silver Subaru bearing the same stolen license plate as the one which fled from the WWU officer earlier in the morning.

Several officers were looking for WOODS and found a silver Subaru in the 2100 block of Xenia St. It had the same stolen license plates on it as the one WOODS has been known to drive. As WOODS had clearly demonstrated he was an imminent and serious danger to the safety of members of the community in Bellingham and Whatcom County. Probable cause had been developed for several burglaries, several cases of eluding from a number of agencies in Whatcom County, and he three outstanding warrants for his arrest. WOODS had also made it clear, if contacted by police, he would drive without regard for the safety of others and do anything he could to get away, including driving recklessly by speeding and driving without lights at night.

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The officers who saw the Subaru on the dead-end road, noted it was running. As soon as the officers pulled up, the driver of the Subaru immediately took a left into a nearby driveway and then quickly began to reverse. The officer swiftly developed a plan, as he did not want WOODS to get to the road and flee by driving recklessly, thereby preventing WOODS from attempting to elude again. The patrol officer drove forward and pinned the Subaru in. WOODS continued to keep it in reverse pushing back against the Police Tahoe, to no avail. By this time, the officer had positively identified WOODS with the spotlight on his vehicle. This decisive action prevented another pursuit initiated by WOODS.

WOODS failed to respond properly to commands to exit his car and was told if he did not less lethal munitions would be introduced. He continued to ignore commands and a 12-gauge launcher was used to break out the back window with a drag stabilized baton. WOODS still did not properly follow commands and a chemical irritant was introduced to the vehicle. Both of these less lethal options had their desired effect of having WOODS step from the car and walk back toward the officers. He was taken into custody by the officers.

During the arrest, WOODS used racial epithets and a homophobic slur against one of the officers at the scene, including threats of assault and finding him off duty. These statements amounted to probable cause for harassment, as the officers on scene felt those threats could very well be carried out should WOODS be released from jail. These statements will be further evaluated by the detective division for their bias elements.

The arresting officers also noted signs of intoxication by WOODS, who had been driving a vehicle. Their observations and continued investigation resulted in probable cause for driving under the influence of an intoxicating liquor and/or drug. Evidence of fentanyl drug use was found in the car.

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Probable cause for the following charges was developed for WOODS:

• Attempting to elude pursuing police vehicle: for driving his car in a reckless manner by backing it into a fully marked patrol car with its emergency lights on, attempting a lawful traffic stop.
• Harassment: for intentionally and knowingly making a threat of physical harm to an officer, all the while using a racial epithet against him, placing the officer in reasonable fear the threat could be carried out should WOODS be released.
• DUI: for driving a vehicle while under the influence of a drug, likely fentanyl. The result of a blood draw is pending.
• Driving while license suspended – for driving a car while his privilege to drive is suspended by DOL.
• Possession of stolen property 3rd degree – for knowingly (he admitted to stealing it) being in possession of a stolen license plate.
• Resisting arrest – for intentionally not leaving the car after being repeatedly told he was under arrest, resisting the efforts of the officers to place him into custody.

He was also arrested on his numerous other charges and warrants and booked into the Whatcom County Jail.

As officers looked inside the Subaru at the scene, they were able to see the butt of a gun in one of the seat pockets. This weapon was accessible to WOODS as he was rummaging around in the vehicle, failing to follow the officers’ directions to exit and keep his hands in sight. The Subaru was seized at the scene and officers applied for and were granted a search warrant. Officers found several realistic looking BB guns inside, as well as the other stolen license plate, and evidence of drug use.

24B-75735:

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On 12-27-24 at approximately 4:59 p.m., officers were called to the 1400 block of Lakeway Dr for the report of a burglary in progress. A witness was watching a male attempting to “mule” kick in the door of an apartment. Officers investigated and discovered WOODS was the person who tried to break down the door to Victim 1’s residence. He was angry and believed Victim 1 took his phone. When Victim 1 indicated they would call police, WOODS fled. Victim 1 reported that WOODS had entered their apartment the day prior as well, by picking the lock and entering unlawfully. Officers developed probable cause for the following crimes:

• Residential burglary – for entering and remaining unlawfully inside Victim 1’s residence without permission by picking the lock to the door.
• Residential burglary, attempted – for ‘mule’ kicking the door to Victim 1’s residence, causing about $500.00 in damage, in an attempt to enter unlawfully to retrieve a phone he believed was inside.

WOODS was arrested on probable cause for these two crimes when he was caught attempting to flee later in the evening.

Additional warrants:

• Whatcom County Superior Court, 24-1-01256-37, Attempting to elude, Bail $5,000
• Whatcom County Superior Court, 24-1-00108-37, Burglary 1st degree, Bail $30,000
• Ferndale Municipal Court, DWLS 3rd degree, Bail $3,500.

WSP [Washington State Patrol] and WCSO [Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office] have several additional counts of eluding on WOODS for which he was booked as well.

WOODS is in jail on over $330,000 bail.