A man being held in the Lewis County Jail for failing to register as a sex offender is now accused of assaulting a fellow inmate, knocking out one tooth and loosening another, in what the Lewis County prosecutor described as an unprovoked attack.
Punikailani K. Nahinu, 46, whose last known address is in Toledo, appeared in Lewis County Superior Court to face a charge of second-degree assault on Monday, Oct. 19.
His initial appearance on the new charge came just 10 days after he was last in court for failing to register as a sex offender. He was convicted of sexual battery in California in 1999, and Washington law requires those convicted of such a crime to register as a sex offender if moving to the state.
On Monday, Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said Nahinu has a “39-page (criminal) history from multiple states.” He noted the inmate who was assaulted required hospitalization and said “there appears to be no reason for the fight here. We have significant bodily injury.”
Nahinu’s defense attorney for the day, Rachael Tiller, noted he has no felony history in Washington and asked for a lower amount of bail.
Lewis County Superior Court Judge Joely Yeager, who said she recognized Nahinu from his previous appearance in her court, agreed with Meyer and set bail at $250,000 while also agreeing to a protection order for the victim
Nahinu appeared to scoff and roll his eyes as the bail was set. He appeared via a video feed from the Lewis County Jail.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, law enforcement was notified of an assault at the Lewis County Jail at about 4:40 p.m. Oct. 16. The assault, which occurred just after noon earlier in the day, had led to the victim being treated at Providence Centralia Hospital.
A sergeant who responded to the hospital said the victim had “obvious injuries to his face and that his shirt was covered in blood,” according to the affidavit.
The victim said he did not know why Nahinu assaulted him.
“He believed that the other inmate might have thought that he was ‘talking smack,’ but he wasn't,” the affidavit stated, quoting the sergeant. “(The victim) allowed me to photograph his injuries. (The victim) had a bottom tooth knocked completely out, and another tooth was loose. (The victim) also had difficulty opening and closing his mouth, which caused visible pain when attempting to open his mouth.”
The sergeant then watched video of the attack at the Lewis County Jail.
“It looks as if the two were speaking, and then Mr. Nahinu got up, advanced to (the victim) in a fighting stance, and struck him at least two times in the face. They then both assumed fighting stances, but no other strikes occurred.”
When contacted by the sergeant, Nahinu said he did not want to speak about the incident.
He has been charged with one count of second-degree assault, a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
As of Tuesday morning, he remained held at the Lewis County Jail.
