Whatcom County man facing felony charge after arrest for damaging relative’s trailer

A Whatcom County man is in jail Tuesday after being arrested for allegedly causing more than $5,000 of damage to a family member’s fifth-wheel trailer.

Jesse Barsness, 43, is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine for the crime, which is classified as first-degree malicious mischief, a class B felony.

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the 4300 block of Deming Road at about 2:30 p.m. May 6 following a report of ongoing vandalism. Witnesses reported Barsness, an Everson resident, was smashing windows out of a trailer on the property, according to Deb Slater with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies had been called to the same property earlier and found Barsness “highly intoxicated and yelling at the owner of the trailer,” Slater told The Bellingham Herald.

Deputies made several attempts to contact Mr. Barness at the front door of the residence and by calling his cellphone but were unsuccessful, according to Slater.

At about 5 p.m. the same day, neighbors again called 911 to report Barsness for trying to hook his truck up to the same fifth-wheel trailer. Deputies found Barsness in his truck when they arrived as well as additional damage to both the trailer and Barsness’ truck, Slater said.

Deputies found the truck’s tailgate on the ground next to the fifth-wheel trailer and observed damage to the rear of Barsness’ truck and the front end of the trailer. The outer shell had been pushed back into the trailer, according to Slater.

“It looked like Mr. Barsness rammed the front of the fifth-wheel with his truck,” Slater said.

The damages to the trailer are estimated to total more than $5,000, according to Slater.

Barsness was arrested and booked into the Whatcom County Jail on May 6, where he remains in custody on no bail, jail records show.