Suspect in slayings was considered high-risk offender

Isaac Zamora, the man accused of killing six people in Skagit County, has a long criminal record on a variety of crimes including drug possession and theft, according to court records in Skagit and Whatcom counties.

At the time of the killings, Zamora was under state supervision and considered a high-risk offender, with convictions for theft and drug possession. While Zamora was regarded as a nonviolent offender, he was supervised at a high level because of his long-standing mental-health issues, according to state Department of Corrections (DOC) records.

Zamora last reported to his probation officer in Mount Vernon on Aug. 21.

Zamora pleaded guilty May 15 to possession of cocaine and was sentenced to six months in jail, with credit for time served, and placed on 12-month community supervision. As part of his sentence, he was ordered to undergo a mental-health evaluation and treatment and a drug evaluation, according to court records.

He was arrested Dec. 15 when a Skagit County Sheriff's deputy stopped the van in which he was a passenger for a taillight violation in Sedro-Wooley. The officer discovered Zamora was sitting on a bag of cocaine. Police said he was highly intoxicated.

Zamora also pleaded guilty to malicious mischief in May. According to court records, he went to the home of an acquaintance on Alger-Cain Lake Road and asked to get marijuana. When the man refused, Zamora walked to his car and hit it with a concrete block, leaving a large dent near the bumper.

Included in the files is a handwritten note from the victim who said, "Isaac Zamora was mad because I wouldn't go hiking with him. He had anger management and mental health issues. He's also jealous. I have a new car. I believe he was high on his oxycodone pain pills for his broken arm."

In asking for $500 in restitution, the victim also said Zamora's sentence should include a requirement that he seek anger-management and mental-health treatment.

Court documents also reveal:

... In 1997 he was charged with attempting to steal a gun from his mother. He was going to sell it to a friend. Zamora initially told police it was stolen.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to four days of confinement, 40 hours of community service, six months of community supervision and counseling.

... In 2005, Zamora was charged with first-degree theft after witnesses said he went into Fairhaven Bike and Mountain Sports and asked to test-ride an expensive bicycle. Zamora never returned the bike. Later, an acquaintance of Zamora's contacted the shop and told them Zamora was bragging about how easy it was to steal from the shop.

He was arrested and charged with first-degree theft after three store employees identified him.

Zamora pleaded guilty, and told the court he had only a 10th-grade education. Under a plea deal, he agreed to pay $1,650 in restitution for the bike and accept a 365-day sentence with 335 days suspended as long as he agreed to home confinement.

... Court records also detail charges of theft of a firearm in 1996 and malicious mischief in 1997.

Seattle Times staff reporter Ron Judd contributed to this report.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com