Jesse L. Harkcom sits before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court for his bail hearing this afternoon.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Bail was set at $1 million today for one of three suspects in a Chehalis home invasion robbery.
Jesse L. Harkcom, 34, was arrested in Lacey on drug charges yesterday and transported to the Lewis County Jail to be charged for the March 26 incident.
Charges were filed today in Lewis County Superior Court and Harkcom was brought before a judge this afternoon.
If convicted as charged, it would be a third strike offense, meaning a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lewis County Intern Deputy Prosecutor Amber Caulfield advised the judge Harkcom has a 1998 conviction for first-degree burglary and a 2011 conviction for second-degree robbery, among his 11 felony convictions.
“At this time, the state would request $1 million,” Caulfield said.
Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke in citing reasons for her request of $25,000 bail, said her client has been a law abiding citizen for the past year and a half, has opened a cleaning service business and has a stable residence in Lacey.
“Given the circumstances, I think the state’s request is reasonable,” Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey said.
According to charging documents, it was just after 11:30 at night when police were called to the victim’s home on Southwest 10th Street just just off Market Boulevard.
She was living in a shed behind a residence and packing to move out when three males kicked in her door and came inside. They were dressed in black and wearing gloves, she told police.
The first male yelled, “Where are the valuables”, the second male stood next to her bed holding a pistol and the third male stepped right back outside where he stood with his arms crossed, according to charging documents. She believed he also had a gun.
The woman, 40 years old, according to police, recognized the first male’s voice as Harkcom, someone she’d known since the previous month, charging documents relate.
She said Harkcom grabbed her Playstation 4, 20-inch monitor, a DVR, laptop computer and miscellaneous property.
Charging documents state she told them she was going to call police and the second male told her “she didn’t want to do that because he didn’t want to have to hurt her,” Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead wrote in the documents.
The woman said she got a small scratch on her leg when Harkcom threw a four-foot long fluorescent light fixture which hit her.
She ran to the residence to tell her roommate what happened and he saw the three get into a dark colored truck and drive away, according to Halstead.
The victim was asked why Harkcom would do something like this and she said he and her boyfriend had traded watches and the watch Harkcom received turned out to be fake.
Charging documents also relate that when Harkcom was booked into the Lewis County Jail, a search turned up a small baggie in his waistband containing two pills and a black tar substance.
Harkcom is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and possession of heroin.
Centralia lawyer David Arcuri was appointed to represent him. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.
Chehalis police said yesterday the other two suspects are still outstanding.
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For background, read “News brief: Chehalis home invasion suspect found, booked” from Thursday June 9, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Jess has been one of my absolute best friends since long before drugs took over his life. We go back to elementary school. He is and always has been almongt the most loving, gentle and fiercely loyal friends I’ve EVER had. He went a painfully different direction than I did, it’s hurt so badly to ride it out with him but I’d never give back a moment of it. But clean Jesse’s heart has never changed. Clean Jesse loves deeper and more truly than most. His kids, wife, family and friends mean everything to him and he’s so good. He made a lot of friends growing up. I went to school with a lot of them too. Many of us remain very close and we all have varying opinions about Jesse’s behavior. Obviously. Some eventually became his co-defendants. I knew some of them quite well also. They were good when they were clean too when we met as little kids. Some have since struggled into full sobriety and managed to stay there. Others like Jesse haven’t made it out YET. The rest of wait patiently and stand by ready to help deliver them from the hell they reside in. Each of them will face their own judgement in their own time. It’s not up to any of us to do in place of the Creator. I know many sides of Jesse VERY well. There are parts to each that I love and also that I dislike or even flat out rebuke and dispise. They disgust me in fact. But he’s still my whole friend. He always will be. And I and his wife and his kids and all his other family and friends (there are a LOT of us) still have the same hope we’ve always had for him. Peace, sobriety. And life.
No one is ever a lost cause. What if your son or brother or cousin had gotten into stupid s**t in freaking MIDDLE school (or earlier like Jesse did) that caused his life to spiral out of control, what if you had watched every high and low, literally and figuratively, all these years, loving, encouraging, supporting and trying to guide them to still find them here. Again. I can assure you that unless your soul is quite dark, you will through all of that, still remembered the good parts, and there were so many good times…
You don’t quit your people. Jesse never quit us either.
To the rest of his family and friends, I send you my love. All the hugs we won’t get to feel as often or ever again. And my deepest sympathy and prayers. I know I’m not praying alone.
To each and every victim from the crimes he committed, I send my apologies and my condolences. The side of Jesse you saw was the worst side of him. I sincerely pray you find your peace as well. I wish you had seen him like we all have.
And to anyone out there who wants to place blame where it’s NOT due, start right here. I am just as responsible for each of his crimes as he is. I knew in 5th grade that he was headed in the wrong direction and I didn’t “fix” him them.
As well did every person involved in the judicial process(s) that chose to punish only the crimes without consideration for what fueled them. I’d say they actually had an even better shot at “fixing” the problem a long time ago than I did concidering they had him in custody. So talk some ignorant bs to them too.
Or in other words, for the slow ones, wake up, you’re blissful ignorance can only take you so far, then reality hits and your already lost. Or your son or daughter. Your husband or wife, your mother or father, sister, brother, cousin, niece, nephew, best friend…. It takes the found the find the lost. So many have failed already, do you want to jump on that band wagon or do you want to do something meaningful and protect the ones you love?
I hope you can find it in your hearts to aim some of that criticism where it IS due. This is still happening to our kids now. It doesn’t end because you caught “Big Bad Jesse Harkcom.” He’s just proof of this States desire and (quite unfortunately) power to ruin lives from the earliest stages in order to keep get their budget’s excess padded to the point of near rupture, spend it on senseless things that will help ensure the survival of their piggy bank for decades to come and blame it on everyone but themselves. If they mess them up young they can potentially make the state money, in one way or another, until they grow old and die. If they make it that far. There are a LOT more people responsible for Jesse than Jesse himself.
This s**t hurts bad. On all sides.
Don’t think for a moment that your people are exempt.
Oh, and PissedOff- you’re an idiot. Do your research before you come at anyone with your “facts”. You’re so far off on so much of that, that you’ve already lost all your credit. Stfu.
I love you Jess. Always.
Your Brat.
RollDogJ’s#1 drug abuse is not a disease, it’s a choice! Cancer and aids are diseases! You don’t choose cancer, you DO CHOOSE to use drugs!
You know all this bashing on him like this No one ask’s for a life of addiction it’s a disease it isn’t like you can just wake up one morning and be like I’m done doing heroin you can die from the withdrawals!! Now with his drug addiction full on like it has been self destruct mode people do things that a normal person would never think of doing these drugs alter and cause chemical imbalances in your brain I can say this much I have known this man Jesse for a long time and he was and is outside himself I don’t recognize him nor do I know the person he has become while in his active addiction I can tell you this much I knew him when Anti drugs he hated them and then I don’t know what happened but I know when he isn’t using drugs and his mind is functioning properly he is the most loving kind man that works his behind off for everything he has he is a real human being that has a heroin problem that he clearly needs help with mental problems due to the heroin use work on fixing those things the real problems that exist rather than locking him away for life and not fixing a damn thing that is really wrong with him that makes a whole lot of sense now doesn’t it lock him up throw away the key don’t have to worry bout that one anymore how easy is that for another to decide that’s the right thing to do it isn’t giving the proper care and help.to a person can make all the difference in someone for the rest of there life he isn’t a dog he is human and deserves to be treated like it
He is a dirtbag junkie who uses masks, guns, and numbers to steal instead of earning his way in life. He cant cut deals forever. Nor can he hide behind beliefs he doesnt practice. He should have to face his actions. Twenty years would be good for society. Least we know he would only be stealing commisary that way. If he can do the crime…..he can do the time. Later skin head wanna be.
Victim please buy a gun and learn to use it, save the Courts tax payer money so the PD can buy body cameras Dash Cameras and a vehicle tracking device. Centralia has been rated the # 1 worse place to live in Washington, the police department is a reflection on this rating. They allow Informant Tweekers to run the streets with impunity. Sorry that this happend to you but as a American it is your Duty to defend yourself not the PD. Remember this in the Future police uniforms will be nothing more than worthless rags.In the event of complete Chaos they will ditch their uniforms and hide among the criminals, since their not brave and tough as people think they are. Their only effective when there with fellow gang members in blue uniforms with rubber badges and Kangaroo Courts. Arm yourself the police are not here to help you they just show up for a pay check. Sorry that Sharyon Decker threw you on front street thats what the media does, it’s all for money and advertising slots on her web page.
Well I can see we have yet again a bunch of readers with tunnel vision. Stuck on who said more shit about the other person. Well I’m the victim in this case and I feel justified that a good detective went out there in the world to arrest Mr. Harkcom for what he did to me. This man and 2others kicked in my door and physically assaulted me while I was home alone at night. I am completely violated and my life was put in grave danger. I am also highly upset that Sharon Decker took it upon her self to announce my identity to the world and to divulge almost everything I had answered in my statement to the officers that responded that night. I guess to give the remaining gunmen who are still at large the ammo they need to finish the job or what. Now quit talking crap about shot u don’t even know is right. Right now I need to b focused on my life and hopefully this little setback is going to actually b a positive event
Should have said first strike was at the age of 16!!!!
If you guys only knew the truth about his past. He makes deals with prosecutors and gets off EVERY time. 😡 In 2008 he was charged with assault 1, kidnapping and drive by shooting. Harkscum was sentence to 28 years in prison. YES I SAID 28 years!!! After making deals with prosecutors his sentence was reduced 25 years!!! In 2012 Harkscum robbed a women in Tennino wa. When the women open the door he pushed his way into the house, grabbed her hair dragged her down a hall into a room where he held a pipe over her head yelling “where’s it at”. Harkscum made off with 1000 bucks and weed. Harkscum was looking at his 3,4 and 5 strike. Harkscum spent 3 years in Thurston County jail. Made another deal. Only spent 1 day in prison.! YES. I said 1 DAY. This is a dirt bag has been putting the public in danger since he was 16 years old. When does the public say enough.
Point made with the baseball analogy, Because. Harkcom HAS been convicted of eleven felonies, but none of them were the kind that trigger the Three Strikes Law. Good catch and I should’ve mentioned that he CAN’T be locked up for life by law.
On the other hand, it’s not easy to see a guy get out of prison and do everything he was doing that landed him in prison in the first place. I know prisons are already overcrowded with career criminals they DON’T let out but when it’s apparent that certain people will always be recidivists, you wish that something more could be done. There are more Jesse Harkcoms among us than we might want to admit.
Three strikes because we like to play baseball. The other felonies were foul balls. If you get off on the charges its like a Homerun. A plea deal is like a walk. And prison time is a out. It’s all a big game. The judge must be umpire. Lol
So the evidence in this case is that the victim recognized his voice? If so, I don’t think that is enough to convict.
Well it’s time to throw the book at this guy. He has had too many chances already, he still isn’t getting it and is doing dangerous violent shit still. THROW THE BOOK AT HIM!
Too bad Washington’s Three Strikes law only involves “serious” felonies. I’m with BobbyinLC: This guy needs to be locked up for a long, long time. With eleven felony convictions already, Harkcom has pretty much shown that he’s going to be a plague on society whenever he’s out.
He has David Arcuri as his lawyer, he’s pretty much fucked. Sorry dude, you don’t have a chance with him as your lawyer.
Yeah a law abiding citizen for the past year and a half? Yup except for the past 11 felony convictions and now an armed home invasion. Time to send him to prison for a good period of time. It is a shame he is only 34 and has thrown his life away.
Maybe you and Jared the Subway guy can share “footlongs”! Enjoy your stay in the pokey!!!