Story and photo by Doug Petrowski
A “tussle” between two homeless men living in the woods near 220th Street Southwest in Mountlake Terrace ended with one sporting a bruise and welt on his head and the other in police custody for assault.
Gene Edward Beebe was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault on Sunday, Feb. 3, for allegedly hitting another man in the head with a camp stove, according to police reports.
Beebe is reported to live in a homeless encampment in the woods behind the Hall Creek Office Park in the 6800 block of 220th Street Southwest. The wooded area is directly below the Sunset Landing housing development on 68th Place West.
The victim, Jack T. Belk, is reported to be a homeless man living in the same wooded area. Belk claims that he lent Beebe a Coleman stove, and when Beebe returned it he threw it at him, striking Belk in the head. Belk refused any medical treatment following the incident.
Beebe claimed the two men were involved in a “tussle,” then added, “but it was no big deal,” according to the police report.
Beebe was booked into the Snohomish County Jail in Everett late Sunday after the Lynnwood Jail refused to incarcerate him due to his insistence on recent medical issues. Beebe claims to have had suffered from minor strokes and a frontal lobe brain injury in 2012.
Police report that alcohol may have been involved.
As a resident of a complex of condos on 224th/Interurban trail, I would really appreciate if the city would start paying more attention to these homeless camps – I take my kids down to the Interurban trail to ride bikes, run, etc and its a bit alarming when we hear the sounds of running generators coming from the woods, read about assults between residents of these homeless camps, and read about deaths in the woods so nearby our home (the young man behind the casino on 220th).
I don’t know these people and it makes me unfairly uncomfortable to bring my young children into that area.
Upon further investigation, the victim seems to have no record with the court system, but the abuser seems to have a criminal history. Why should I, as a parent of young children have to deal with the fear that my children are in potential danger? Are these people residing legally?? Is there nothing that can be done, or is the city of Mountlake Terrace too busy with speed traps to concerns themselves with potentially more serious matter?
Erica, if you haven’t done so already I would highly encourage you to contact the City with your concern. Anytime I’ve had issues I’ve always tried to contact the City and let them know. They’ve always been extremely responsive and always try to fix the problem. Some things like this they might not be aware of unless we as citizens speak up.