Bail Set at $250K for Man Who Allegedly Shot Motel 6 Door in Centralia

Lewis County Superior Court has set bail at $250,000 for a Lakewood man who allegedly admitted to shooting the door of his Motel 6 room with stolen firearms Tuesday night. 

Cesar Emiliano Soria, 48, was arrested after he called the Centralia police from the Motel 6 in the 1300 block of Belmont Avenue at approximately 10 p.m. on Feb. 2, allegedly claiming “that someone at the motel was trying to kill him,” according to court documents. 

The probable cause affidavit states that Centralia police had responded to the same location earlier that day and “were able to calm Soria down,” but “this time when law enforcement responded, they noticed bullet holes in the door that were not previously there.” 

When contacted by responding officers, “Soria admitted that he shot at the door because he was afraid of people he thought were outside the door,” according to the affidavit. 

Soria allegedly revealed two firearms in his possession — a 9 mm pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun — that were listed in the law enforcement database as stolen. 

Soria had past felony convictions outside of the state of Washington, most notably for fourth-degree assault, domestic violence, and was not legally permitted to possess a firearm.

When doing a sweep of the motel room, officers also “observed what they believed to be methamphetamine residue and heroin residue, based on their training and experience.”  

Soria was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 11:35 p.m. on charges of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm and possession of a controlled substance, methamphetamine. 

“His conduct was bizarre, to say the least,” said Will Halstead, Lewis County deputy prosecutor, of Soria at Soria’s preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Feb. 2. 

Halstead, prosecuting Soria on behalf of the state, recommended that Soria be held for an additional 24 hours at the Lewis County Jail so that he can be seen by a mental health professional. 

“I’m not opposed to him seeing a mental health professional, but that would just leave us in the same position we are in now in 24 hours having to address bail,” said Judge J. Andrew Toynbee, who agreed with Halstead’s recommendation to set bail at $250,000. 

“It is because of the behavior described in the probable cause, the past history and his lack of connection to this community,” Toynbee said. 

Soria is scheduled for arraignment and trial setting on Feb. 11.