Staff
The Bellingham Herald file
A Ferndale man was arrested Wednesday, May 4, for allegedly helping a Blaine woman accused of assault leave a medical appointment and flee instead of returning to the Whatcom County Jail.
Danny Allen Stroud, 42, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree rendering criminal assistance, a felony.
Around 2 pm on Tuesday, May 3, 27-year-old Jessica Shockey of Blaine was temporarily released from the Whatcom County Jail to attend a medical appointment per an order from the Whatcom County Superior Court, according to Deb Slater, a spokesperson for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
Shockey had been incarcerated in the jail after allegedly hitting a law enforcement vehicle while driving a stolen car in mid-April, The Bellingham Herald previously reported.
Shockey was taken by correctional staff to her medical appointment and was to return to jail immediately following her appointment, Slater said.
Around 2:30 pm on Tuesday, jail staff were notified that Shockey had walked away from her appointment and her location was unknown. Medical staff told the sheriff’s deputies that Shockey left with a person named “Danny,” who was later identified as Stroud, Slater said.
Sheriff’s detectives were able to identify their vehicle and found it May 4 in the 7200 block of North Enterprise Road, Slater said.
Stroud was located in the front passenger seat and Shockey was allegedly trying to hide under a jacket in the back seat. Stroud allegedly said he didn’t know Shockey had escaped from jail, but was only giving her a ride to Blaine, Slater said.
Both Stroud and Shockey were arrested without incident.
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