Two local residents suspected of vehicular assault received high bails during preliminary appearances in Lewis County Superior Court Monday.
According to the Chehalis Police Department, the two-vehicle collision that led to their arrests resulted in two children being airlifted for emergency medical care.
In their probable cause affidavit, prosecutors said one of the children had his leg amputated at the hospital.
The suspects were officially charged on Tuesday.
Connor L. Smith, 34, of Chehalis, received a bail amount of $100,000 cash or bond, while Ronald W. Manjares Jr., 44, of Centralia, received a bail amount of $150,000 cash or bond.
Manjares’ bail was amended to $100,000 cash or bond the following day.
Judge Paul Strophy said he wasn’t concerned about either man failing to return to court, and based his bail decision on the “nature of the allegations” and concerns for community safety.
Strophy said he set Manjares’ bail at a higher amount due to his more recent and serious offenses related to substance use.
According to court records, Manjares was sentenced to a residential drug offender sentencing alternative and 24 months of community custody in 2022 after being convicted of a felony protection order violation and fourth-degree assault.
Smith has no felony history, according to defense attorney Rachael Tiller.
Prior to Strophy’s Monday ruling, Chief Deputy Prosecutor William Halstead said his office was working to get a commitment from the state’s crime lab to quickly complete its testing.
According to the affidavit, police secured search warrants for blood draws on both Smith and Manjares.
Halstead requested probable cause holds for both men and a return to court the following day. Tiller argued that both men should be released on their own personal recognizance.
Halstead later requested a bail amount of $100,000 cash or bond.
As part of their release conditions, Smith and Manjares are prohibited from contacting any witnesses or victims. They are also prohibited from driving without a valid license or insurance.
The judge ordered that both men were required to get alcohol monitoring devices within 24 hours of their release from custody.
Smith and Manjares made their second preliminary appearances on Tuesday.
During the hearing, Strophy amended Manjares’ bail to $100,000 cash or bond, after Manjares agreed to refrain from operating a motor vehicle while the case is pending.
Manjares faces three counts of vehicular assault, each punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and three counts of reckless endangerment, each punishable by up to 364 days in jail.
Smith faces three counts of vehicular assault. He posted bail prior to his appearance.
According to a news release from the Chehalis Police Department, officers on Sunday responded to a collision between a 2005 GMC Yukon and a 2017 Ford F-250 in the 800 block of West Main Street.
Officers determined the westbound F-250 had struck the eastbound Yukon while the Yukon was attempting to turn left onto the northbound Interstate 5 on-ramp.
According to police, Manjares had been driving the Yukon, which contained one adult passenger and four children ages 7, 9, 11 and 12.
In the affidavit, police noted the SUV had “extensive passenger side damage.”
“Two of the juvenile passengers were airlifted with serious injuries,” the Chehalis Police Department said in its news release. “Two other juveniles were transported to Providence Centralia Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Minor injuries were also reported by several other individuals involved in the collision.”
Police said the F-250 was driven by Smith, and included one adult passenger. The truck had visible damage to its front end.
According to the affidavit, Manjares allegedly told police his girlfriend had been driving the SUV. His girlfriend allegedly “maintained this story” until she told a trooper that Manjares had actually been the driver.
According to the affidavit, the girlfriend’s alleged admission was supported by the position of the driver’s seat, as well as a hat found on the seat. The front passenger seat, meanwhile, reportedly held items belonging to the girlfriend.
Though Manjares allegedly refused to perform field sobriety tests, officers said they smelled alcohol on his breath and found an “opened box of Corona beer tossed away from the vehicle in the brush with open and unopened containers in it,” according to the affidavit.
Officers said the box had “spatters of blood” on it.
Manjares was booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 5 a.m. Sunday.
According to the affidavit, Smith, like Manjares, allegedly refused to perform field sobriety tests. Smith’s passenger, however, reportedly admitted that they’d been drinking at Garbe's Bar & Grill in Chehalis.
An officer at the scene noted that Smith allegedly smelled of alcohol and had “droopy eyes.”
Smith was booked into the Lewis County Jail at about 5:30 a.m. Sunday.
Both men were transported to Providence Centralia Hospital prior to their booking.
Manjares remained in custody as of Wednesday.
