By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – A 44-year-old man wearing body armor was arrested yesterday in Randle after allegedly telling his passenger he was going to run his vehicle into a tree and kill them both.
The 50-year-old victim told deputies that when the car slowed along the 9800 block of U.S. Highway 12, he rolled out, ran for help and called 911.
Deputies called about 1:10 p.m. located the suspect vehicle on the 200 block of Silverbrook Road, but the driver ran off into the trees, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
A Taser was deployed but was ineffective because of the body armor, however, a deputy and a trooper took the suspect to the ground and into custody, Chief Deputy Bruce Kimsey said.
John Desmarais, 44, from Goldendale, allegedly tried to stash a small vial of a white powdery substance while enroute to Morton General Hospital, Kimsey said. The substance field-tested positive for amphetamines, Kimsey said.
Kimsey said it’s unclear how the two knew each other, but at one point authorities were told they may have been headed to the Cispus area to camp.
The threat occurred somewhere along U.S. Highway 12 when Desmarais allegedly made statements to his passenger that he was angry about his ex-girlfriend and other things going on his life, that he was going to cut off his hands and crash the vehicle, according to the sheriff’s office.
The victim is a 50-year-old Centralia man.
Desmarais was booked into the Lewis County Jail for unlawful imprisonment and a violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act.
He had outstanding warrants from the Yakima area for attempt to elude and from Klickitat for malicious mischief, according to Kimsey.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter