Man accused of stealing beer, cigarettes arrested after allegedly spitting on police

A 35-year-old man was arrested Aug. 26 in Centralia after he allegedly stole two beers and a pack of cigarettes from the Apex II Food grocery store — and then ran from police and hid in the bushes between South Washington Avenue and West Main Street.

When he was found, the man, Eric W. Getz, allegedly resisted arrest and spit in the face of one of the officers, according to court documents.

He faces one count of third-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, a class C felony punishable by up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

During a preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Aug. 27, Judge J. Andrew Toynbee set Getz’s bail at $5,000 cash or bond, agreeing with the state’s recommendation.

When making her bail request, Deputy Prosecutor Brandi Archer recognized Getz’s lack of criminal history, but highlighted two pending assault charges that include possible active warrants out of Seattle Municipal Court.
Defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for unsecured bail on the basis of a “lack of criminal convictions,” adding that Getz understood he would need to clear any open matters immediately. Tiller added that Getz did not have the financial means to post bail.

Before making his ruling, Toynbee indicated that it would be a “big concern” if Getz had active warrants, and said it would still be a concern if they were prior warrants. Despite the lack of criminal history, Toynbee said he had a “concern for failure to appear,” especially in light of the allegations that Getz tried to evade officers and reportedly spit on one of them.

The incident began when a Centralia police officer was dispatched to the Apex II Food grocery store upon reports that a man had stolen two beers and a pack of cigarettes. According to court documents, the man reportedly “ran out of the store without paying for the items.”

After reviewing surveillance footage, the officer began searching for the suspect with another officer. They reportedly located the suspect on Centralia College Boulevard. One of the officers yelled at the suspect to stop, but the suspect ran, according to court documents.

Getz was later found in the bushes a few blocks away.

An arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 4. Rachel Hunt is assigned to represent Getz.