A Centralia woman accused of threatening two people with an ax near the Seminary Hill Nature Area on Thursday, Aug. 10, is facing felony assault and malicious mischief charges in Lewis County Superior Court.
The woman, identified as Megan M. Murphy, 35, is accused of striking a fence with an ax then walking toward two people “in an aggressive manner, with the ax raised above her head as if she was going to strike them with it” after one of the two alleged victims got her attention, according to court documents.
The alleged victim who got Murphy’s attention told law enforcement she was walking home with her son, the second alleged victim, on Locust Street and yelled out “hey” to Murphy when she saw her hitting a nearby fence with the ax. She told law enforcement “she stepped in front of her son and told him to run, which he did” and said “she believed if she had not intervened and told her son to run, Murphy would ‘100 percent’ have hurt them with the ax,” according to court documents.
Damage to the fence will cost an estimated $10 to repair, according to court documents.
Murphy was arrested in the parking lot of the Seminary Hill Nature Area.
When contacted by law enforcement, Murphy followed officers’ commands to put the ax down and “said she was hearing voices, but denied having a mental health episode,” according to court documents.
Murphy was booked into the Lewis County Jail just after 8:35 p.m. on Aug. 10 and has since been charged with one count each of second-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief.
Bail is set at $25,000 and arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 17.
