Margaret Shults makes an appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday morning at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center in Chehalis.
A woman accused of fighting with Chehalis Safeway employees, biting one of them, pleaded not guilty to three charges in Lewis County Superior Court Thursday.
Margaret D. Shults, a 27-year-old transient, is charged with second-degree assault, third-degree attempted escape and escape from community custody. She is being held in the Lewis County Jail on bail set at $750,000.
Defense attorney Don Blair said he is confident the case will be resolved to everyone’s satisfaction. Trial is scheduled for June 8.
The charges stem from an April 11 incident at the Chehalis Safeway. Shults was allegedly seen shoplifting and left the store. A loss prevention employee contacted her and brought her back into the store and called police, according to court documents.
While waiting for police, Shults allegedly pushed the employee and tried to run. Shults then allegedly bit the employee on her right shoulder, causing significant bleeding.
A Chehalis police officer arrived, took the victim’s statement and began escorting Shults out of the store. Shults had slipped her right hand out of the handcuffs, and at the store’s entrance, she broke free of the officer. She lunged away and tried to flee, but the officer tackled her.
The officer handcuffed her again and placed her in a patrol car. Shults continued to be uncooperative and would not provide her name to police or jail staff, according to court documents.
Eventually her identity was confirmed using a previous booking photo.
Shults has nine prior felony convictions, including first-degree robbery, theft of a firearm, first-degree burglary, two residential burglary convictions and three counts of forgery/obtaining a signature by duress.
The maximum penalty for second-degree assault is 10 years imprisonment and a $20,000 fine. Third-degree escape carries a maximum sentence of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Escape from community custody has a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
