Packwood man given nine plus years for 2013 kidnapping

September 1st, 2016
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Zachery H. Bynum talks with his lawyer Jacob Clark after signing sentencing documents in Lewis County Superior Court today.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – After spending more than three years in custody, between jail and the state psychiatric hospital, a Packwood man was sentenced today for events he says he mostly doesn’t recall but a prosecutor called a day of hell for the victim.

Zachery H. Bynum pleaded guilty to first-degree kidnapping, two counts of second-degree assault, harassment and resisting arrest.

It was July 16, 2013, when Bynum was arrested at gunpoint on U.S. Highway 12 near Kiona Creek Road after an approximately four-mile police pursuit. He had dragged his young woman friend out of the Glenoma grocery store and forced her to drive toward Randle.

“She was the one who went through this,” Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead said of the then-22-year-old Morton woman. “She’s the one who had a knife held to her throat.”

Bynum, then 41 years old and living mostly in the woods, was suspected to suffer from severe mental issues from the start.

The allegations included Bynum first forcing the young woman up a logging road where he threatened her with a machete.

Defense attorney Jacob Clark today told the judge of a 10-minute evaluation by personnel from Western State Hospital that initially found Bynum competent and then jail visits in which he would watch his client pull out wads of hair and rip off his own fingernails.

“I’d talk through a little door, he wouldn’t come out from underneath his bed,” he said.

Clark said he asked them to evaluate him as an inpatient, which they did and when he’d come back, spend time in solitary, he would deteriorate again.

“We went through the process I think five times, maybe more,” Clark said.

Clark spoke of a previously undiagnosed brain disease that included cyclical swelling. His client’s current state of mind was the best it’s ever been, he said.

Halstead described the plea agreement in which both attorneys recommended 110 months in prison, as an amount of time sought because of the impact to the victim and also witnesses, including children.

The victim was present in the courtroom and asked Halstead to convey her wish Bynum get the maximum penalty.

Bynum took the judge up on an offer to address the court.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t remember what happened mostly, I believe it, but I’m sorry for what happened.”

Judge James Lawler agreed with a sentence of nine years and two months.

“I don’t think adding more time is going to change the impact on Mr. Bynum, given the mental health issues,” Lawler said.

The judge gave him credit for 1,142 days already served and ordered 36 months of supervision upon his release.
•••

For background, read “Lawyers: Mentally disturbed Packwood man kidnapped woman friend” from Thursday July 18, 2013, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

September 1st, 2016
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•••

Updated at 4:02 p.m.

AUTO THEFT

• Chehalis police were called about 4:15 a.m. by an individual who said he discovered his car had been moved from where he had parked it on the west side of the street at the 100 block of Southeast Washington Avenue to the east side. A subwoofer was missing, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called at 2:45 a.m. today within moments of a black 1995 Honda Civic being stolen from the 500 block of Southwest William Avenue. It has a license plate reading AXH 7724, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• A vehicle stolen in Chehalis was recovered yesterday morning at the 1100 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia, during the course of another vehicle theft investigation, according to the Centralia Police Department.

BAD BILL

• Police were called yesterday by a business at the 1000 block of Belmont Avenue in Centralia regarding the discovery it had accepted a counterfeit $100 bill.

VANDALISM

• Police were called yesterday about a window on a vehicle broken overnight at the 700 block of West Second Street in Centralia.

LSD AND MANY POT PLANTS

• A 44-year-old Centralia man was charged yesterday with four felonies after an off-duty Centralia police officer told law enforcement of marijuana being grown behind a house on Maple Valley Drive, and detectives spoke with three teenagers there who said they’d given him money to buy them marijuana oil and marijuana bud. A search of the home turned up 25 stamps of LSD inside a freezer, 39 marijuana plants in the basement and a loaded revolver in a closet, according to court documents. Richard K. Kane was arrested on Tuesday and brought before a judge yesterday afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court. Court papers say when drug detectives first asked Kane if he had authorization to grow the marijuana which could be seen in the back of the residence, he produced a medical authorization and said he didn’t mind showing them his eight plants. There were 10 with trunks as thick as two inches in diameter, prosecutors allege. Kane was charged with possession of a controlled substance, manufacture of marijuana, distribution of marijuana to a person under age 18 and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke indicated Kane collected social security disability payments and qualified for a court appointed lawyer. His bail was set at $25,000 and his arraignment scheduled for today.

ON THE ROAD, OFF THE ROAD

• Centralia police are referring for criminal charges a case of a 15-year-old driver who allegedly struck a bicyclist at the 2500 block of North Pearl Street and left the scene yesterday. Officers responding to the approximately 6 p.m. call note the injuries were minor.

• A 56-year-old Vader resident was one of two people injured when the driver of a Honda Accord ran a red light in Longview late yesterday afternoon at state Route 432 and Washington Way, according to the Washington State Patrol. The Honda struck Glenn R. Wilburn’s Jeep Cherokee and spun off before hitting a log truck, according to the state patrol. Wilburn was not wearing a seat belt, the investigating trooper reports. He and the Honda driver, 51-year-old Louis Z. First, from Tacoma, were both transported to PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, misdemeanor assault, violation no contact order, driving with suspended license; responses for alarm, dispute, civil issue, third-degree theft, vandalism, harassment, disorderly person, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street, child alone in a parked car, request a woman with suitcases in front of  store for up to three days be asked to move along … and more among 157 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.

News brief: Thurston Sheriff Snaza awake and out of ICU

September 1st, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza’s condition has been upgraded from critical to serious and he continues to improve but remains hospitalized with injuries from a motorcycle accident last week.

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Sheriff John Snaza

Sheriff’s Lt. Tim Rudloff released a statement yesterday, in cooperation with Snaza’s family, reporting he was moved from the intensive care unit to a room on the general recovery floor.

“This is wonderful news for this progression of full recovery,” Rudloff wrote.

The single-vehicle accident occurred while Snaza was off duty, the evening of Aug. 23 in Sanders County, Montana. He was airlifted to to a hospital in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with life-threatening injuries.

At mid-day on Monday, Rudloff reported that the sheriff woke up, his ventilator was removed and he was able to breathe on his own and speak. Rudloff said he seemed in good spirits and was able to communicate with his family.

Snaza, 51, is the twin brother of Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza.

Rudloff yesterday indicated the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office would transition to brief social media comment updates once a week.
•••

For background, read “Read about optimism for Thurston Sheriff Snaza’s long road to recovery … ” from Saturday August 27, here

Lacey teen gets adult court in theft of police chief’s car case

August 31st, 2016
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Dashaud D. Cummings, 17, consults with temporary defense attorney Joely O’Rourke in Lewis County Superior Court this afternoon.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The 17-year-old boy arrested for allegedly stealing a police car as he tried to get away from troopers chasing him for speeding in Chehalis has been charged as an adult in Lewis County Superior Court.

Dashaud D. Cummings was arrested on August 10, captured by a police dog in the woods off Interstate 5 a couple of miles from where Chehalis Police Department Chief Glenn Schaffer’s car was taken at Riverside Golf Course.

Cummings was brought before a judge this afternoon, who asked if this was the case where the individual was up on a roof while law enforcement officers were searching for him, and then took the police car.

A decline hearing was held in juvenile court, allowing the case to be moved in adult court, according to Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Joel DeFazio.

The Lacey resident is charged with second-degree assault, attempting to elude and theft of a motor vehicle as well as hit and run.

Charging documents indicate he told a police officer he was running because he didn’t want to get arrested for a warrant. He told the officer he got into one of the patrol cars, was tased,  and fled, later running on foot, according to the documents.

A Chehalis Police Department spokesperson previously related that as officers approached the police car, the suspect put it in reverse, striking a trooper with the open door, knocking the trooper down.

When Officer Matt McKnight informed him he had injured a trooper, Cummings responded, “I told him to move,” the documents state.

The 15-year-old girl who with him told police she told him to stop and that he didn’t have a license.

Defazio asked that the defendant be held on $100,000 bail.

Temporary defense attorney Joely O’Rourke told the judge Cummings has a stable address with his aunt, his legal guardian who is a nurse and asked for lower bail.

Judge Richard Brosey set bail at $35,000.

Centralia attorney David Brown represented Cummings in juvenile court and was appointed to continue representing him.  The arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 8.
•••

For background, read “Theft of police chief’s car could mean adult court for teen” from Thursday August 11, 2016, here

Judge hands down slightly lighter term in Winlock child porn case

August 31st, 2016
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Donald L. Schnacker takes a seat beside his defense attorney Jacob Clark in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A Winlock man with an an intellectual ability his lawyer described as less than that of a 7-year-old was given a shorter than standard sentence for sharing child pornography on the Internet today in Lewis County Superior Court.

Donald L. Schnacker, 30, was arrested by the FBI in December and has been held since then in the Lewis County Jail.

Investigators found evidence Schnacker used his phone and the Kik messenger app to access wireless internet from the library.

“Unfortunately he got into a situation where someone at the library had introduced him to child pornography and he began sharing it,” attorney Jacob Clark told the judge.

Clark told the judge his client at a young age suffered brain damage and also has mental health problems.

“I think initially, he didn’t realize it was a crime,” Clark told the judge. “His family explained to him it was not appropriate.”

Clark apologized in advance as he didn’t want to insult Schnacker, but said he believed his client’s intelligence is below his 7-year-old’s. He can learn, but his retention is problematic, Clark said.

Prosecutors and his lawyer had worked out a plea deal and asked the judge to give Schnacker 12 months in jail, instead of 15 to 20 months in prison. He had pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of dealing in depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Melissa Bohm asked for the 12 months but didn’t offer any details for her request.

Judge Richard Brosey agreed, for the reasons given by Clark, and imposed 36 months of community custody after release. He also ordered Schnacker not to use a computer which is connected to the Internet.

Prison for two more participants in Centralia drug-related robbery

August 31st, 2016

By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The third of four suspects was sentenced today for a July incident which authorities alleged involved a ruse to obtain heroin that resulted in a struggle inside a car with bear spray and a box cutter in Centralia.

Jon Parker, 32, pleaded guilty this morning in Lewis County Superior Court to conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery. Judge Richard Brosey followed the agreed recommendation that came out of a plea agreement and gave him one year and one day in prison.

Parker chose not to make a statement on his own behalf.

He, Andrea Parker, 34, of Chehalis; Robert Plasencia, 29, of Napavine; and Kiana J. DeLaRosa, 18, of Chehalis, were all arrested after the early morning July 30 events at the 1600 block of North Scheuber Road.

Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Paul Masiello said essentially the plan was already in place when the Parkers arrived. DeLaRosa had asked her friend to get her some heroin, saying she was drug sick, he said.

Court documents describe that when the two victims arrived, DeLaRosa began saying they’d stolen $100 from her, and then a purse and a backpack were taken from them.

DeLaRosa pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree robbery but her sentencing has not yet taken place.

Andrea Parker on Monday pleaded guilty to the same offense as Jon Parker – conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery – but also to four other cases from this year, involving drug possession as well as forgery and second-degree identity theft. She was given 50 months in prison.

Plasencia got 22 months when he was sentenced early last week for second-degree robbery.

•••
For background, read “Bear spray, box cutter and heroin” from Friday August 12, 2016, here

Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup

August 31st, 2016
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•••

SHERIFF’S OFFICE SEEKING CHEHALIS MAN FOR ASSAULT, THEFT

• Deputies are looking for a 34-year-old Chehalis man who allegedly assaulted his former significant other at the 200 block of Roe Road in Winlock yesterday, and fled with her .22 rifle. Deputies responded about 3 p.m., searched and could not find him, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office. They learned later he returned, broke a window and stole a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am, sheriff’s Cmdr. Dusty Breen said. The car was subsequently located at the 400 block of state Route 506 and a K-9 track was conducted but was unsuccessful, Breen said. A case for fourth-degree domestic assault, theft of a firearm, theft of a motor vehicle and first-degree burglary is being sent to prosecutors to review for charges against Adam C. Sullivan, according to the sheriff’ office.

AUTO THEFT

• A black 1997 Honda Civic was taken sometime during the night from the 1100 block of Scammon Creek Road in Centralia, according to a report made to police about 7:20 a.m. today. It has a license plate reading 174 ZSQ, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Chehalis police were called just before 7 a.m. today about a beige 1988 Honda Accord stolen during the night from the 300 block of Southwest Third Street. It has a license plate reading ALL 4987, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

• Centralia police were called about 12:45 p.m. yesterday about a 2006 Pontiac stolen from the 600 block of H Street. The car was recovered later in the night by the Washington State Patrol, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• A deputy responded just before 11 a.m. yesterday to the 300 block of Foster Creek Road in Toledo where a car had been stolen from a field sometime since 3 a.m. on Monday. The 2003 Hyundai Elantra has four doors and is valued at about $2,000, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.

FORGERY

• A 29-year-old Centralia woman was contacted by police yesterday morning at the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue where she had allegedly used a stolen credit card to get a motel room. The victim was someone she knows, according to the Centralia Police Department. Regina D. Ashley, 29, of Centralia, was arrested for forgery and booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to police.

SUPER SHOPLIFTING

• Centralia police responding to an approximately 10:50 a.m. call yesterday to the 100 block of West High Street arrested two individuals for organized retail theft. Booked into the Lewis County Jail were Cleo R. Palmer, 44, of Seattle, and Juanquita A. Knox, 44, of Tacoma, according to the Centralia Police Department.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called about 2:25 a.m. for a car prowl at the 1700 block of Northwest Louisiana Avenue. Missing is a Smith and Wesson pistol, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

HOSPITAL ISSUES

• Bryan J. Hill, 24, of Chehalis, was arrested about 7:45 p.m. yesterday for interfering with a health care facility and third-degree malicious mischief at the 900 block of South Scheuber Road in Centralia. He was booked into the Lewis County Jail, according to the Centralia Police Department.

• Officers were called about 8:30 p.m. yesterday to the 900 block of South Scheuber Road in Centralia to take a report of a patient striking a health care provider.

AND MORE

• And, as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, third-degree theft; responses for alarm, dispute, third-degree theft, misdemeanor assault, graffiti to a building, suicidal person, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street, barking neighbor dog … and more among 148 calls for local law enforcement and / or fire-emergency medical services in the 24-hour period ending about 7 a.m. today.