December 18 – The Grinch descended on Kalispell and is said to have destroyed a homeowner’s Christmas decorations. Although he had no identifying information to provide to Kalispell police, he told investigators that the small-hearted miscreant ripped the decorations out of his yard, tore and cut them into pieces, then dragged them into the street.
Officers stopped the driver of a silver Honda because he was driving through the city without a license plate.
Residents found a medium-sized dog with a pink collar, but no tags. They agreed to try to find the owner before taking it to the animal shelter.
A former employee was tired of receiving threatening messages from a former employer and turned to the police for help. Ultimately, they decided to block the employer’s number after agents walked them through their options.
Officers flagged down a driver during a traffic stop and then turned the wheel over to a passenger with a valid driver’s license.
Someone called authorities after finding a stack of ID, debit and credit cards. Officers collected the items.
A private investigator told police she was working on a case in the area.
Officers searched in vain for the driver of a white truck with a hitchhiker after a passerby reported him for possible driving under the influence. The passerby told authorities that the driver was leaving a store and heading south on US 93. The driver had previously been jumping around and acting strangely, and he sped away as he took off, almost running a red light.
When told she couldn’t park in the alley while trying to get personal items from an old friend’s house, a woman called police to ask “what her rights are” in that situation.
Police tracked down a man who a passerby thought might be high or drunk. The passerby said the man, who had two children with him, was standing in a parking lot with his truck and the music was playing loudly. He was dancing to the music, they told the officers. But when the police found him, they deemed him fit as a fiddle.
Officers informed the owner of a recreational vehicle that it was time to move on after he reportedly camped in a neighborhood for about two weeks. A resident alerted authorities after noticing he was helping himself to the garbage bins in the home. The man told authorities he would ask a friend to give him a jump and then move on.
