Wellington M. Waggener hasn’t been back to Lewis County Superior Court since he threw himself over the half wall behind the defendant’s table shortly after this photo was taken on Wednesday afternoon.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A Centralia resident arrested three times in four days – twice for his alleged actions inside the jail – won’t be arraigned anytime soon.
Wellington M. Waggener, 26, is scheduled to return to court for a review next month.
He was to have the opportunity to make his pleas on Thursday morning to four felony charges, but the judge signed an order for a mental evaluation to be conducted by Western State Hospital.
The former Centralia College basketball player was booked into the Lewis County Jail after a Friday night incident in which a woman said she found him in her bed at a Centralia motel, touching her with his hands.
While being housed in the medical observation portion of the jail on Sunday, he allegedly spit on a corrections officer’s face as he was being served dinner.
Then on Tuesday morning, he allegedly threatened to kill two other of the officers, telling one of them that he would kill her if he saw her outside the jail and telling the other he wanted to slit his throat.
Defendants can’t be arraigned unless they are competent to understand the charges against them.
The judge had already noted at Waggener’s first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court that he was familiar with Waggener, and that he may need to be on some mental health treatment.
Then on Wednesday at his second bail hearing, the handcuffed and shackled 6-foot 9-inch tall defendant threw himself over the half wall that separates the public seating area from the front portion of the courtroom. Guards dragged him out of the courtroom.
It was about 18 months ago that jail staff left Waggener in a cell to suffer for more than five hours without any water for relief after an entire three-ounce can of pepper spray was discharged into his cell. Lewis County had a check for $300,000 delivered to his lawyer last month as a settlement regarding the incident.
The sergeant held responsible was fired.
According to charging documents in his newest case, at about 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Waggener became angry when told he couldn’t take a shower at that moment, and 40 minutes later tried to flood his cell.
He was still being held in the medical observation unit.
When a corrections officer responded, he allegedly said he would shoot her, he would kill her if he saw her on the streets. He acted like he had a rifle in his hand and told he’d like to see her head explode, charging documents state.
Charging documents go on to allege that when questioned, Waggener said they were not threats, but promises.
It was a few hours later when he allegedly told a jail sergeant that he wanted to slit his throat.
He asked the sergeant if that scared him, and the sergeant said no, charging documents state. He allegedly said it should, because when he was released, he would do it.
When Waggener was interviewed about it, he said he’d been asleep all day and made no threats.
He is currently charged with residential burglary with sexual motivation as well as custodial assault, for which his bail was set at $25,000. He is also charged with two counts of felony harassment, for which bail was set at $50,000.
Waggener’s review hearing is on the court calendar for Aug. 8.
•••
For background, read:
• “Former Lewis County Jail inmate paid $300,000 for pepper spray abuse incident” from Wednesday July 15, 2015, here
• “Centralia man jailed after woman tells of waking up to stranger in her motel room bed” from Tuesday July 14, 2015, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Mr. Sleeping Giant,
Fluoride was invented by gay nazi Martians to enslave the word. People become zombies, albeit cavity free zombies.
This is a perfect example of what the Obama era created. The piece of trash kidnapping kids to teach them what it’s like to be slaves? BLACK PEOPLE TODAY HAVEN’T BEEN SLAVES FOR OVER 140 YEARS!! So this guy doesn’t know what it’s like to be a slave. Ex college student, yup, the colleges are programming everyone that they are victims and that this is an oppressive racist nation.
Mental health issues… what a joke. That term gets thrown around now in order to excuse shitty behavior.
Forget sending your kids to college. Send them to a trade school and provide them a real future. Back to Wellington, garbage like this should be put out petmanently.
So the the folks on here. IF this had been your neighbor and he’d slapped YOUR KID, then made you do his work. IF you’d be the one spit on…. that’s assault with bodily fluids…. Mental, maybe, committed a crime…. YES…… so instead of jail time you people want to coddle and baby him. OK BUT don’t come crying to anyone when someone likes him beats you up.
This poor guy has a history of mental illness and the inadequate and callous treatment he’s received while detained has only compounded the issue! Like so many others suffering from mental illnesses he should be receiving compassionate care and effective medical treatment in a knowledgeable facility. Not jail time, trough handling and assaults with pepper spray!!!
Probably woulda done everyone a favor had he been ran over on I-5 after he assaulted 3 chehalis officers after being escorted out of green hill a couple years ago…..
I checked out the Travel Lodge on my way from work and they do have cameras. I hope the Cpd obtained the footage of this guys whereabouts it, could make or break the case. Knowing the CPD though their going to claim the video footage didnt exist or they didnt realize there were cameras. Hope its not to late for an investigator to get the video.
Not crazy just smoked bath salts
I don’t think threats against people that are imprisoning you are crimes. They have all the power – you have very little. Those charges should be dropped and they should concentrate on whether the original charges are valid.
Looks like the mental health facilities here in Lewis County failed him. With a two month waiting list what could we expect. I hope everyone is enjoying there Fluoride today in Centralia. Harvard study proves Fluoride lowers your IQ. Hows that for mental health awareness month?.