Law roundup: Beach day marred by strange man

A strange man in a van at a Kalispell area lake made a group of beachgoers nervous with his odd behavior. A caller told the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office that the man was taking photos of her and her children as well as a friend and their children. The man, who appeared drunk, also stared at them, she said. Deputies contacted the U.S. Forest Service to arrange for extra patrols in the area.

Thinking she recognized an individual panhandling from a Facebook post about a theft at a construction site, a motorist contacted deputies.

Worried about a young woman suspected of using drugs, a man called the Sheriff’s Office looking for advice on how to help her.

A caller reported possible animal abuse. They had spotted a pregnant bullmastiff left tied up in the sun over long periods of time.

Trying to figure out his options, a man told deputies his parents were withholding a check made out to him.

Someone ripped the swinging door off of a resident’s home. He suspected it would take two or possibly three brawny men to cause the damage.

A caller reported coming across an unsupervised burn pile near Kalispell. The blaze was later doused.

Someone impersonating a deputy called a Whitefish resident and warned them of two outstanding contempt of court warrants totaling $4,000. They named a local district court judge as having signed the warrants and tried to arrange a meeting to pick up the money. Recognizing the ploy as a scam, the resident hung up.

An ex-employee allegedly was hanging out near their former workplace harassing current workers.

Music blasting from a neighboring home prompted a Whitefish resident to contact the Sheriff’s Office. Deputies made contact with the headbangers, who turned the volume down.

Authorities advised a resident on their options concerning cyberbullying.

A Kalispell area resident told deputies their neighbors had turned their property into a shooting range. It sounded like they were using a rifle that night. Deputies agreed to conduct extra patrols in the neighborhood if time allowed.

Threatening text messages prompted a Kalispell resident to call the Sheriff’s Office. They said the unknown correspondent was demanding money.

Someone reported coming across an abandoned boat on a trailer.

Apparently dissatisfied with dispatchers, a Kalispell resident called the Sheriff’s Office hoping to secure the phone number for a deputy or two. The reason? A nearby business was running a drive-in movie theater and he was concerned about parking overflow from the show. He wanted the ability to “get someone over there pronto.” Authorities let the man know they did not give out deputies’ contact information, but if he needed law enforcement, he should contact dispatch. Displeased, he asked to meet with a deputy in person. Authorities let him know he would be getting a phone call to start.

A Bigfork resident reported a break-in and said the thieves took their credit cards.

An employee of a Coram business told deputies they witnessed a drug deal go down around the back of the building.