Matthew W. Harader appears before a judge with his lawyer in Lewis County Superior Court.
Updated at 5:28 p.m.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Chehalis police yesterday arrested the wife of the man charged with shooting at a passing truck saying they believed that right after the early Sunday morning incident occurred, he gave her the firearm.
Hillary M. Harader, 23, was contacted at the courthouse, there yesterday afternoon for her husband’s hearing. She was booked into the Lewis County Jail for rendering criminal assistance and tampering with evidence, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
Deputy Chief Randy Kaut said this morning they believe she did something with the gun, but they haven’t yet recovered it.
Her husband Matthew W. Harader, age 27, of Centralia, is charged in Lewis County Superior Court with two counts of first-degree assault. At his arraignment yesterday afternoon, his bail was increased to $200,000.
Chehalis police recovered two .45 caliber casings at the scene and recovered one round which had lodged into the side of a building, according to authorities.
It happened at the Jackpot convenience store on the 600 block of West Main Street in Chehalis.
Nobody was injured and charging documents offer no explanation for what occurred.
Officers called about 3:20 a.m. on Sunday spoke to the clerk who said two men and a woman had been inside, although they arrived in separate vehicles, according to court documents. The clerk said she heard a “pop” and saw a male dressed in dark clothing running toward the street with his hand raised in front of him as though he held a gun, according to charging documents.
She said she heard a second “pop” and it appeared he was firing toward a large gray lifted pickup truck which was heading westbound on Main Street, the documents relate.
Charging documents continue on, offering the following account:
The two men from the lifted truck told police they stopped at the store to get Gatorade and as they drove west, one of the men made eye contact with them, began to yell, chased them and shot at them. They pulled behind the Dairy Bar across the street, which is where one bullet hit the building.
Arriving officers located the suspect truck, stopping it at the 400 block of North Market Boulevard, and arrested the passenger.
Matthew W. Harader refused to speak with officers but the driver when asked if he knew why they were being stopped, said “He’s crazy, who just starts shooting at people for no reason.”
The driver was not arrested.
The victims, Cole T. Rife and Tanner R. Bradford, told police they thought the man chasing them was the one wearing shorts, but a review of video images from Jackpot showed the one in shorts didn’t leave the side of the truck while he was pumping gas.
A 9mm pistol was found in the suspect truck as well as .45 caliber ammunition, according to Kaut.
Matthew W. Harader appeared in court Monday afternoon, with his employer and others present in his support. He is represented by Chehalis attorney Katherine Gulmert. He pleaded not guilty yesterday.
His juvenile record includes convictions for second-degree burglary and third-degree assault.
Hillary M. Harader bailed out of jail with a $2,000 bond but returned this afternoon to Lewis County Superior Court where she is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance, a felony and with tampering with physical evidence, a gross misdemeanor.
Judge Nelson Hunt left her bail unchanged.
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For background read “Centralia resident booked for allegedly shooting at moving truck on Main Street” from Monday August 29, 2016, here
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