The two Centralia men accused of fleeing from police twice after assaulting a victim in a men’s bathroom each received bail amounts of $50,000 on Monday.
According to police, the 21-year-olds knocked the victim unconscious.
Jose E. Garibay posted bail and was released from the Lewis County Jail at about 8 p.m. Monday. Uriel Torresillas-Sicairos remained in jail Tuesday morning, according to jail records.
Garibay and Torresillas-Sicairos are both charged with one count of second-degree assault and two counts of attempting to elude a police vehicle. The assault charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines. The eluding charges are each punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor Bradley Meagher requested the $50,000 bail amounts during the defendants’ preliminary appearances in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday. Meagher noted that neither defendant had a criminal record.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for no more than $25,000 in bail, based on the defendants’ age, local residency and lack of criminal history. Tiller said both men were working. She noted family members were in the courtroom supporting Garibay.
Judge Joely Yeager said the court was concerned about community safety, “given the nature of the offenses in this case,” which included the alleged second-degree assault.
“The court is also very concerned about the attempting to elude pursuing police vehicles,” Yeager said during Garibay’s court appearance. “There’s two counts of that, because there was two separate incidents of trying to flee from officers.”
Yeager also noted the defendants’ alleged attempt to mask or alter their vehicle’s license plate, which Yeager said gave the court concern about the defendants interfering with the administration of justice.
“Neither one of them have criminal history, but the risk to community safety outweighs the lack of criminal history here,” Yeager said during Torresillas-Sicairos’ court appearance.
The judge granted the state’s request for $50,000 cash or bond for both defendants.
The two men were booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 5 a.m. on Saturday following their capture in Rochester.
According to a news release from the Centralia Police Department, officers arrived in the 200 block of North Tower Avenue at about 1:27 a.m. Saturday and saw two male suspects flee the scene in a Dodge Charger Scat Pack.
In a probable cause affidavit, prosecutors said the officers had “responded to an assault complaint near O'Blarney's in Centralia.”
Officers pursued the Charger northbound on Interstate 5 until the suspects allegedly turned off the car’s headlights and escaped.
During the investigation, officers reportedly learned the suspects had assaulted the male victim in a men’s bathroom. Police matched the suspects’ Department of Licensing photographs with the two men who had fled in the Charger.
The Charger, meanwhile, returned to Centralia. Officers reportedly located the car near one of the suspects’ homes. The Charger took off again, losing the officers on I-5.
Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders said on Facebook Saturday that the Charger — at one point during the alleged chases — “blacked out” while traveling over 130 mph.
“A short time later, a possible address was provided for the suspects,” Sanders said.
According to Centralia police, the address was located in Rochester. Sanders said deputies found the Charger parked there. In their affidavit, prosecutors said the car was “partially concealed.” Centralia police noted it was unoccupied.
“It should be noted it appears the license plate to the Dodge Charger was removed in an effort to conceal the owner's identity,” the affidavit said.
A Centralia officer arrived at the scene and applied for a search warrant. According to the Centralia news release, the officer received assistance from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Chehalis Tribal Police and Washington State Patrol.
Law enforcement reportedly found the two suspects hiding nearby.
“Although the residents of the dwelling denied the two were there, a search of the home resulted in the arrest of both Jose and Uriel,” prosecutors said in the affidavit.
Bodycam footage released by Sanders shows a Thurston County deputy walking toward two suspects lying on their stomachs on the ground outside a home, as five additional law enforcement officers approach from another angle.
“Both suspects were apprehended without incident and turned over to Centralia PD,” Sanders said.
Centralia police said the victim was hospitalized and receiving medical treatment.
Garibay and Torresillas-Sicairos are scheduled for arraignments on Thursday. Both will look to retain private counsel.
