Bail Set at $3 Million for Chehalis Man Accused of Strangling His Father to Death

A Chehalis man accused of strangling his father to death had his bail set at $3 million in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday.

Joshua M. Soteros, 43, was charged with second-degree murder, domestic violence.

“I just plead guilty right now,” Soteros said when asked by Judge Joely O’Rourke if he understood the allegations.

O’Rourke declined to take Soteros’ guilty plea saying she wasn’t comfortable accepting a plea on a murder charge before the defendant had a chance to consult with an attorney.

“I’m trying to look out for your best interest and your due process rights,” O’Rourke said. “I don’t feel comfortable with you coming in and pleading guilty to a murder charge when you haven’t consulted with an attorney. Your arraignment will be set for this week, you can talk with an attorney and if you change your mind at that point then we’ll talk about that, okay?”

Deputy prosecutor Will Halstead requested that bail be set at $3 million, noting that detectives had informed him Soteros also faced a murder charge from 2000 in California.

Halstead said he was able to confirm that Soteros was in fact charged with murder in 2000 based off allegations that he had killed his father — the one he is alleged to have killed on Sept. 26 — however the case was dismissed.

“The matter was actually dismissed based upon a civil commitment, it looks like a mental health commitment of Mr. Soteros,” Halstead said.

It was also unclear to Halstead why he was charged with murder when obviously his father had not been killed in 2000.

“I think the state’s request is reasonable under these circumstances and I am going to grant that request,” O’Rourke said regarding Soteros’ bail.

The affidavit of probable cause gives the following account of the alleged murder on Sept. 26:

At 12:11 a.m. on Saturday, Lewis County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 100 block of Ramsey Road in Chehalis where dispatch had advised the officers that a man who identified himself as Joshua Soteros was reporting that he had just killed his father after a dispute they had.

During the call with dispatch, Soteros said he had no weapons and he had strangled his father.

When deputies arrived on scene they detained Soteros, who was waiting on the back porch of the residence.

Upon entry of the house, police located the deceased victim in a bedroom with injuries consistent to what Soteros had told dispatch.

During an interview with police, Soteros said he had gotten into a fight with his dad and he put him into a headlock and choked him until he was dead. Soteros reportedly left the room for a little while and came back to verify his father was dead before calling police.

Soteros is scheduled to be in court again on Oct. 1.