The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges against several Green Hill School inmates in late April and May for alleged offenses that took place at the Chehalis juvenile detention facility.
Sterling Jackson Cole Lalicata, 18, Jonell Maurice Irvin Swan, 19, and Djuan C. Black, 18, were each charged with one count of prison riot on April 19 for allegedly getting into a fight with another inmate on Jan. 24. During the altercation, the other inmate, Treyshawn Donovan Hilton, 21, allegedly shoved a Green Hill staff member and struck another staff member in the face. Hilton was charged April 19 with one count of prison riot and two counts of custodial assault.
Lalicata, Swan and Black each had preliminary hearings in Lewis County Superior Court on May 8 and pleaded not guilty to their respective charges on May 16. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 5.
Hilton’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 12.
Also facing a prison riot charge is Walter Isaac Tonasket, 18, who is accused of getting into a fight with two juvenile inmates on March 11. Tonasket had a preliminary hearing on May 7 and entered a not guilty plea on May 9. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 5.
On May 13, the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office charged Javante Picard, 19, with one count of custodial assault for allegedly punching a staff member in the back repeatedly on April 15 while the staff member was laying on the ground in the fetal position. Surveillance video reportedly shows Picard approach the staff member and hit her repeatedly in the face before she fell over a chair and onto the ground, where Picard allegedly continued to hit her in the head. Medical personnel reportedly confirmed the staff member sustained minor injuries.
Picard had his preliminary hearing on May 21 and pleaded not guilty on May 23. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 12.
Three Green Hill School inmates had preliminary hearings in May for separate cases stemming from contraband items staff found within the facility this year.
Emiliana Charre-Nunez, 20, was charged April 26 with one count of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility after staff found a cellphone and a charger inside his coat pocket on March 10. He had his preliminary hearing on May 8 and entered a not guilty plea on May 16. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 5.
Kingston Lee Aldridge, 18, was charged April 30 with one count of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility after a staff member reportedly found him smoking a joint containing synthetic cannabis out the window of his cell on March 1. When confronted about the joint, Aldridge allegedly tried to convince the staff member to let him keep the joint and promised “he would not smoke in his room anymore and would just use the bathroom next time,” according to court documents. Aldridge had his preliminary hearing on May 14 and pleaded not guilty on May 23. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 12.
Nicholas James Whitten, 18, was charged April 23 with one count of possession of a weapon by a prisoner after staff reportedly found two “shanks” hidden behind a washing machine inside the facility on Feb. 23. Video footage of the laundry room reportedly shows Whitten place some items behind the washing machine. When questioned, Whitten allegedly admitted to finding the shanks a few days prior and hiding them behind the washing machine, according to court documents. His preliminary hearing was held on May 7 and he pleaded not guilty on May 16. Trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 5.
Green Hill School began reporting all seized contraband and all assaults involving three or more inmates to the Chehalis Police Department in October, according to Green Hill School interim Superintendent Jason Aldana.
In a statement to a Chronicle reporter in March, Aldana said he reached out to Centralia Police Chief Stacy Denham and Chehalis Police Chief Randy Kaut shortly after the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) executed a search warrant at the facility on Aug. 31, 2023. Unreported evidence and contraband was seized from lockers as the warrant was served.
Aldana said he met with Kaut and Chehalis Deputy Chief Matt McKnight in early September to go over a pilot system for reporting assaults and seized contraband to the Chehalis Police Department.
Kaut confirmed in April that the Chehalis Police Department does regularly recover contraband that has been seized by Green Hill staff. The department also regularly receives reports of incidents within the facility, including found contraband and prison riots, which are defined as a physical altercation involving three or more inmates.
The juvenile detention has been criticized by Denham and Senate Republican Leader John Braun, R-Centralia, on several occasions in the past year, with Braun calling on Gov. Jay Inslee to open an investigation. Inslee has refused to do so, though he has noted that there have been security improvements at the facility since JNET served the warrant.
