A Centralia man accused of beating a 3-year-old girl, causing significant bruising, on May 12 has been arrested and charged with second-degree assault of a child.
The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Jacob William Seelye, 24, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, May 19, after the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office finished investigating a report made by medical staff at Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital on Wednesday, May 14, according to jail records and Lewis County Superior Court documents.
A relative of the child reportedly took her to St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood on Monday, May 12, for treatment of “severe facial bruising, scratches and bruises on her arms,” according to court documents. The child was transferred to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma and was admitted for medical treatment.
According to court documents, “Medical staff was initially told the injuries were caused by a dog, but medical staff did not believe the injuries were consistent with a dog, which led to medical staff calling law enforcement.”
Medical personnel determined the child did not have any scratches or puncture wounds — which they reported would have been present in a dog attack — but the child did have severe bruising on the left side of her face that “was approximately the size of an adult hand,” as well as bruising and red marks along her jaw, thigh and arm.
A nurse practitioner with the Providence Abuse Intervention Center reportedly determined that “the bruising was layered, consistent with someone hitting (the victim) multiple times with a cupped hand,” and that the other marks observed on the victim were “consistent with (the victim) being struck with an object.”
The bruising on the victim’s arm was reportedly “consistent with someone being forcefully grabbed by the arms,” according to court documents.
When interviewed by a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office detective, the relative who took the child to the hospital reported that the child had been left alone with Seelye during the workday on May 12. The relative reported that she video chatted with Seelye at approximately 12:45 p.m. that day, saying “everything seemed fine.” She reportedly received a missed call from Seelye at approximately 4:12 p.m. that day and, when she returned to the residence at about 7 p.m., she “found (the child) covered in bruises and Jacob appeared intoxicated,” according to court documents.
She reported that she “flipped out” and called another relative, who met them at the Centralia residence.
Concerned that the child was “acting ‘distraught’ and ‘not herself,’” and “worried she might have a concussion,” the two relatives took the child to St. Clare Hospital.
“They took her to that hospital instead of a closer hospital because she wanted to get (the child) to a ‘safe place,’” the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office stated in charging documents.
When questioned, Seelye allegedly “said he didn’t know how (the child) got the bruises and didn’t remember anything from that day,” according to court documents. He also allegedly said “no one had been at the residence on May 12, 2025.”
The residence reportedly had interior cameras that were not plugged in the day of the incident, and an exterior Ring camera that was functioning the day of the incident.
Ring camera footage reportedly confirmed that Seelye was alone at the residence with the victim at the time of the incident, according to court documents.
Seelye was charged Tuesday, May 20, in Lewis County Superior Court. He had his preliminary hearing that same day.
While Seelye has no criminal history, Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher asked for bail to be set at $100,000 based on the violent nature of the offense.
“We are concerned for the child’s safety. As such we are asking the court to impose high bail,” Meagher said Tuesday, also asking for a no-contact order in favor of the child to be issued.
While defense attorney Rachael Tiller asked for bail to be set no higher than $25,000 due to Seelye’s lack of criminal history, the fact that he lives locally and that the child does not live with him, Lewis County Superior Court Judge Joely Yeager opted to grant the prosecution’s bail request.
“I understand Mr. Seelye has no criminal history; however, the allegations here are extremely concerning for community safety,” Yeager said Tuesday.
In addition to granting the no-contact order requested by the prosecution, Yeager imposed a provision to Seelye’s conditions of release prohibiting him from being a caregiver to any children or having any unsupervised contact with children until the case is resolved.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, May 22.
