At least 10 defendants had preliminary hearings in Lewis County Superior Court in December and January for alleged offenses that took place at Green Hill School in Chehalis between January 2021 and November 2024.

Of those 10 current and former Green Hill inmates, seven face custodial assault charges, two face felony harassment charges, three face prison riot charges, two face intimidating a public servant charges and two face possession of controlled substance charges.

Detron Booker, 18, was charged Jan. 7 with one count of custodial assault for allegedly biting a staff member while staff, instructed by medical personnel, used “pain stimuli to prevent (him) from falling asleep” while he was being treated for an “overdose-type situation” on Nov. 23. He pleaded not guilty on Jan. 23 and trial is scheduled to begin April 14.

Zachary Chance Louis Leclair, 18, was charged Jan. 7 with one count each of custodial assault and prison riot for his alleged involvement in an incident where several inmates ripped a TV off of a wall and threw trash around the facility on May 27. Leclair allegedly kicked a staff member during the incident. He had his preliminary hearing on Jan. 22 and arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Eduardo Lopez, 18, was charged Jan. 7 with one count each of custodial assault and intimidating a public servant for allegedly shoving and threatening to assault a staff member on Oct. 11. He had his preliminary hearing on Jan. 21 and arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Marius Anthony Velazquez, 19, was charged Jan. 7 with one count of custodial assault for allegedly harassing and spitting on a staff member on July 17. He had his preliminary hearing on Jan. 21 and arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Velazquez was also charged Dec. 10 with one count of prison riot for allegedly threatening staff and throwing chairs during a fight that broke out at the facility on May 3. He pleaded not guilty on Jan. 9 and trial is scheduled to begin March 24.

Also charged as a result of the May 3 fight was Gilberto Sanchez Medina, 19, who was charged Dec. 10 with one count of prison riot for allegedly attempting to join the fight. He pleaded not guilty on Jan. 9 and trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 24.

Sebastian Lee Foster, 18, was charged Jan. 8 with one count each of felony harassment and custodial assault for allegedly threatening to throw urine on a staff member before throwing various items, including urine, at the staff member on Oct. 14. He had his preliminary hearing on Jan. 22 and arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Desmen Michael Belgarde, 18, was charged Dec. 9 with one count each of custodial assault, intimidating a public servant and felony harassment for allegedly threatening to decapitate a staff member and approaching the staff member as if he was going to strike her on Sept. 11. He pleaded not guilty on Dec. 19 and trial is scheduled to begin March 3.

Dakota Mahon Springfield, 18, was charged Dec. 9 with three counts of custodial assault and one count each of prison riot and felony harassment for allegedly striking a staff member, spitting on another staff member, spitting on another resident and threatening to kill staff on July 15.

Springfield was also charged Dec. 9 with two counts of custodial assault and one count each of third-degree malicious mischief and possession of a weapon by a prisoner for allegedly forcing his way out of his room, attacking a staff member, flipping a food cart, threatening to throw the cart’s wheel at another staff member then throwing the wheel at a window before spitting on a staff member on June 10.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges in both cases on Dec. 19 and trial is scheduled to begin March 10.

Anthony Barajas-Robledo, 23, was charged Jan. 10 with one count of possession of a controlled substance while in a state correctional facility after staff found a marijuana joint in his bedding on Sept. 3. He entered a not-guilty plea on Jan. 23.

Tyree M. Garrett, 22, had his preliminary hearing Jan. 22 on a possession of a controlled substance while in a county or local correctional facility charge that was filed Nov. 16, 2023. Garrett is accused of having suspected marijuana, rolling papers and two Bic lighters in his room on Jan. 10, 2021. The incident was among the cases discovered by Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team (JNET) detectives during the execution of a search warrant at Green Hill School on Aug. 31, 2023. Given the age of the case and the fact that Garrett was no longer in custody at Green Hill, Garrett was issued a summons notice in December 2023 for a preliminary hearing in January 2024, which he was not present for. He was arrested on a $50,000 bench warrant on Jan. 21, 2025. His bail was reduced to $10,000 the following day. Arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 30.

Green Hill School began reporting all seized contraband and all assaults involving three or more inmates to the Chehalis Police Department in October 2023, following conversations between then-Interim Superintendent Jason Aldana, then-Centralia Police Chief Stacy Denham and Chehalis Police Chief Randy Kaut that were motivated by  the Joint Narcotics Enforcement Team’s (JNET) execution of a search warrant at the facility on Aug. 31, 2023. Unreported evidence and contraband was seized from lockers as the warrant was served.

Aldana said he met with Kaut and Chehalis Deputy Chief Matt McKnight in early September 2023 to go over a pilot system for reporting assaults and seized contraband to the Chehalis Police Department.

Kaut confirmed in April that the Chehalis Police Department does regularly recover contraband that has been seized by Green Hill staff. The department also regularly receives reports of incidents within the facility, including found contraband and prison riots, which are defined as a physical altercation involving three or more inmates.

The Chehalis Police Department submits investigative material and recommended charges to the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office once it completes its own investigation into Green Hill’s reports.