A 49-year-old Randle man is facing eight felony charges after a violent robbery during which he allegedly wielded a hatchet and broom stick, gave the victim a concussion that rendered him unresponsive and stole his truck.
Jeremy Smathers, whose criminal history stretches back to 1997, made his initial appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday, Sept. 24.
There, Judge Paul Strophy set bail at $250,000, more than tripling the recommendation of $75,000 by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
In making his decision, Strophy noted Smathers’ extensive criminal history, which includes multiple convictions for attempting to elude, theft, assault and possession of narcotics, as well as his threats against witnesses in the case.
Smathers is charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, three counts of felony harassment, intimidating a witness, second-degree malicious mischief and theft of a motor vehicle.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by the prosecutor’s office, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the 7000 block of U.S. Highway 12 for a report of a robbery at about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The reporting party told the deputy that her fiance had been assaulted by Smathers. The deputy contacted the victim in the 100 block of Meade Hill Road and observed a “large laceration on his forehead as well as bruising to his head and face,” the affidavit states.
The victim was “hanging out” at the U.S. Highway 12 location with two others when Smathers allegedly entered the residence and started punching and kicking him repeatedly.
According to the victim, Smathers said “I’m going to kill you motherf-cker” and grabbed a broom during the attack. He allegedly used the broom handle to jab the victim in his ribcage.
Smathers then allegedly grabbed a hatchet off the wall and began lunging and swinging it at the victim, though he did not make contact.
Smathers allegedly grabbed the victim’s cellphone and placed it on a hot fireplace, saying he was “cooking” the phone so the victim could not call police.
Before leaving, he allegedly turned to all three people in the room and said, “only us four know about what happened in this room, and it better stay here or I will come back and kill all of you,” according to the affidavit.
Smathers then told the victim to take off his pants and give him the keys to the victim’s truck. The victim kept his pants on but handed over the keys, according to the affidavit.
The victim said he had recently purchased the truck from Smathers and provided the deputy with the bill of sale.
Smathers was arrested at about 12:25 p.m. Wednesday in the 100 block of Chapman Road.
The victim declined a deputy’s advice to seek immediate medical treatment, but by 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, a deputy noticed an active aid call at the Meade Hill Road home of the victim. The victim in the robbery was unresponsive due to the injuries inflicted by Smathers, according to the affidavit. He was airlifted to Tacoma General Hospital at about 2 a.m. Sept. 24, where he was diagnosed with a severe concussion.
Appearing in Lewis County Superior Court via a video feed from the Lewis County Jail Thursday, Smathers was silent throughout the hearing but spoke up as it came to an end.
“Can I ask who the victims are in this case?” he asked. “I don’t even know who they are.”
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller said Smathers was “frustrated with the charging” and that he considers himself the victim in the case.
Smathers will next appear in Lewis County Superior Court for an arraignment and trial setting hearing.
This is the third new criminal case against Smathers this year alone. He was charged with felony failure to register as a sex offender earlier this month, but that charge was dismissed. He was arrested for burglary and theft in March. Trial in that case is scheduled for Dec. 10.
