Lewis County Sirens.com

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By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Toledo man arrested after a bizarre series of events that left employees at a Centralia motel hiding and ended in a fight with police officers inside the nearby sandwich shop remains jailed as his lawyer makes plans to delve into his mental state.

Defense attorney Shane O’Rourke described the situation on Alder Street the morning of May 26 as a sort of manic scenario.

“All the witnesses indicated he thought something was happening that was not happening,” O’Rourke said.

Mitchell K. Davis, 27, was a gunner on active duty in Iraq in 2009 who had significant combat and had significant issues afterwards, O’Rourke said.

“We believe he had been brought by Toledo police to Providence Centralia Hospital who dropped him off there,” he said. “I believe he was discharged within a matter of hours before this.”

Officers were called about 11:15 a.m. that day to the Peppermill Inn having been told Davis grabbed an employee, pushed her to the floor and took her phone, according to police. As police arrived, they got a call from a man at the Shell station next door – where Davis allegedly took his phone – and were directed to the Subway shop, according to a police account.

Police said he was hiding in the bathroom, and as he dashed out, knocked a worker to the ground. Davis was subdued with a Taser, but during a struggle, reportedly struck one officer in the face.

Davis yesterday pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

He remains in the Lewis County Jail, and O’Rourke is preparing for an extensive evaluation of his client.

The Centralia defense attorney said he expected within the next couple of days he would seek authorization from a judge to engage an expert psychiatrist.

Davis is charged with two counts of second-degree robbery, one count of third-degree assault, two counts of fourth-degree assault, malicious mischief and possession of methamphetamine. His trial is on the Lewis County Superior Court calendar for July 20.

Getting acquitted by reason of insanity can be a long and complex process, according to O’Rourke.

It’s different, in that the defendant acknowledges the acts, but, then a judge or jury has to find one of two things are true, he said.

“A, I did not understand what I was doing because of some kind of mental defect or delusion,” O’Rourke said. “Or B, because of my mental state, I had no ability to appreciate right from wrong.”

It’s a difficult standard to meet, he said.

If it happens, the case then shifts into determining what to do next with the person, he said.

“If it’s a bad enough crime, you’re probably going to be committed the rest of your life, he said.

O’Rourke said one of the allegations is police found a residual amount of methamphetamine, so an issue he expects to come up is an allegation of intoxication.
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For background, read “Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup – POLICE: ‘SPUN UP OUT OF HIS MIND’ ” from Wednesday May 27, 2015, here

The man named in court documents as Huber Juarez-Arellano approaches the defense table for his bail hearing in Lewis County Superior Court.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The individual accused of stealing a pickup truck from a Chehalis dealership during a test drive – by brandishing a toy gun – and leading law enforcement officers on a wild chase into Cowlitz County appeared before a judge this afternoon where lawyers discussed his bail.

But first, Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler asked if his name was indeed Huber Juarez-Arellano.

“I don’t know who was messing with my ID,” the young man replied.

Lawler told him all he wanted to know at that point, was if that was his name.

“Yes,” he said.

A Lewis County Sheriff’s Office commander yesterday identified the arrestee as Huber (no middle initial) Juarez-Arellano, 21, from Vancouver, Washington. A different spokesperson from the office this morning said he was Huber J. Arellano. The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office reported he is Huber Juarez-Vasques, 22, of Kelso.

Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke told the judge her temporary client lives and works in the Salem, Oregon area.

When Lawler asked him did understood the charges, his rights and the potential penalties, long pauses followed before the heavily tattooed man responded affirmatively to each query.

“He does have some mental health issues he wants the court to consider,” O’Rourke told the judge.

Juarez-Arellano – as he is named in court documents, based on the identification left at I-5 Toyota – is charged with  first-degree robbery, attempting to elude and first-degree malicious mischief.

The sheriff’s office says when he and a sales associate took a 2011 Ford F150 pickup for a drive yesterday morning, he pulled out what looked like a pistol and ordered the 46-year-old man out of the vehicle near Hamilton and Labree roads south of Chehalis. And then took off.

An Airsoft gun he allegedly threw out a window was recovered.

Charging documents speak of deputies and troopers pursuing on a backroad at 30 to 40 mph above the speed limit, with the suspect vehicle swerving into oncoming lanes and ignoring stop signs and other traffic warnings.

The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office reported the truck ran through a fence near a weigh station south of Castle Rock. Charging documents describe part of the journey as cutting across the northbound lanes of Interstate 5, crossing the median and heading into the southbound lanes before driving through a barricade onto a frontage road.

“Frankly, everyone’s lucky someone did not die,” Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer told the judge.

Meyer asked for bail of $750,000, based in part on juvenile convictions of second-degree assault and harassment. O’Rourke asked for $50,000, telling the judge Juarez-Arellano works multiple jobs and supports his wife, three young children, his mother and his brother.

She also said he receives disability payments and appeared to qualify for a court-appointed attorney.

“He is denying he is the alleged suspect in the probable cause statement,” O’Rourke said.

Bail was set at $500,000. His arraignment was scheduled for next Thursday morning with Centralia lawyer David Arcuri to represent him.
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For background, read “Chehalis salesman carjacked during test drive” from Wednesday June 10, 2015, here

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SPEEDY FRAUDSTER

• A 50-year-old Chehalis man contacted police about 4:30 p.m. yesterday to report he’d accidentally left his credit card at the library and although within a couple of hours realized it was not with him, discovered it had already been used twice at local businesses and someone was attempting to use it at an ATM. The third transaction didn’t go through, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

MISSING CAR FOUND

• A car reported stolen yesterday from the 300 block of East Magnolia Street in Centralia turned up at the 300 block of Pine Street and a relative of the owner was arrested. Corey R. Aldrich, 28, was located at a nearby apartment and booked into the Lewis County Jail for taking a motor vehicle without permission,  according to the Centralia Police Department. A search of his person incident to the arrest turned up suspected methamphetamine, so the Centralia man was booked for that too, according to police. That offense is the one cited if a person is related to the owner, has been allowed to use the vehicle at least one time before and didn’t intend to permanently deprive the owner of their property,  according to police.

FUEL THEFT

• Centralia police were contacted yesterday by an individual who said someone tried to steal gasoline from their parked vehicle during the night at the 1000 block of F Street.

CAR PROWL

• Chehalis police were called about 8:20 p.m. yesterday about a vehicle prowl on the 300 block of Southwest James Street.

SUSPICIOUS FIRE

• It appeared someone set a fire in an alley next to a garage in Chehalis yesterday evening but a neighbor who was quick with a garden hose got it put out before it spread, according to the Chehalis Fire Department. Firefighters were called to the area behind the 300 block of Southwest James Street about 6:30 p.m. and found brush and grass covering an area approximately three feet by six feet had burned, Capt. Rob Gebhart said. A small scorched spot was found in front of the house as well, Gebhart said. Nobody was home at the residence, he said. Firefighters and police spoke with some kids across the street, but nobody saw anything, Gebhart said.

AND MORE

• And as usual, other incidents such as arrests for warrants, underage drinking, malicious mischief, driving under the influence; responses for alarm, dispute, hit and run, suspicious circumstances, collision on city street … and more.