A 26-year-old Centralia woman is facing a felony criminal charge after allegedly assaulting her ex and stabbing the hood of his vehicle and a tire with a set of needle nose pliers.
Martha Carpio-Cansino made an initial appearance in Lewis County Superior Court via a video feed from the Lewis County Jail on Thursday, Nov. 12.
She is charged with second-degree malicious mischief (domestic violence), a Class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office, noting Carpio-Cansino has no criminal history, asked for $5,000 bail due to the “violent nature of the attack.” Defense attorney Rachael Tiller asked for unsecured bail.
Judge Joely Yeager set bail at $5,000, in line with the prosecutor’s office’s request. She also granted a no-contact protection order for the victim while the case is pending.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by prosecutors, a Centralia police officer first spoke with the victim — who sought to report a domestic violence incident — on Nov. 10 in the lobby of the Centralia Police Department.
The man said he was at work when he received a text from Carpio-Cansino stating that she was going to kill herself. The victim said she was at their house with two children, ages 1 and 3, at the time.
The man went to the home on Woodland Avenue in Centralia.
“He stated Ms. Carpio-Cansino came out to his car where they began arguing,” court documents state. “Ms. Carpio-Cansino grabbed a pair of needle nose pliers and proceeded to stab his tire, popping it. She then proceeded to stab the hood of his car, damaging it. (The victim) stated he was able to wrestle the pliers out of her hands, but Ms. Carpio-Cansino then punched him on the left side of his face.”
The officer observed discoloration on the side of his face, according to the affidavit.
The victim showed the officer his vehicle, a 2021 Hyundai Accent, and the officer observed a “dent/puncture” to the hood. The victim also showed the officer the flat tire, which had been removed from the vehicle, and provided the officer with the pliers, which had “small amounts of black rubber on the tip.”
The officer then contacted Carpio-Cansino at her residence.
“She stated during their argument she got angry and grabbed what she believed was a screwdriver and punctured (the victim’s) tire before hitting his car with it,” the affidavit states.
Carpio-Cansino was then placed under arrest.
The officer noted that a Google search for a new painted hood for a 2021 Hyundai Accent shows a replacement value between $947 and $1,045.
Carpio-Cansino, who qualified for assigned legal counsel, will next appear in Lewis County Superior Court next Thursday for an arraignment and trial setting hearing.
