A Bucoda man with multiple active warrants faces three felony charges after he allegedly fled from police and drove through multiple pasture fences before attempting to escape on foot on Monday.
Travis J. Ritzenthaler, 38, was ultimately located at a house off Newaukum Valley Road with the help of K9 Havik from the Centralia Police Department. He was charged with one count each of attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, second-degree malicious mischief and escape from community custody during a preliminary hearing Tuesday. Each charge carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
An affidavit of probable cause filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office detailed the charges from the perspective of law enforcement.
On Monday, a Lewis County Sheriff’s Office sergeant and Napavine police officer were working to locate Ritzenthaler regarding an active warrant with the state Department of Corrections (DOC) when the officer received a notification from the Flock Safety camera network alerting him that a vehicle associated with Ritzenthaler was nearby.
The officers located the vehicle along Estep Road in Napavine. They attempted a traffic stop on Interstate 5, but the vehicle accelerated and “eventually passed a vehicle on the left using the gravel shoulder of the interstate,” before it “exited at exit 74 and continued through a red light at the end of the off-ramp, making a left turn onto Labree Road,” according to the affidavit.
At one point, Ritzenthaler was allegedly going 95 mph in a 35 mph zone, and reportedly broke through multiple fences as he sped through a cow pasture.
The Napavine officer found the vehicle unoccupied with the driver’s door open. The sergeant requested assistance from a K-9 unit. The Centralia Police Department responded to the call and dispatched K9 Havik.
“K9 Havik tracked across a river, over fences and eventually to a house the suspect was associated with,” the department wrote in a separate statement on Facebook.
In the end, Ritzenthaler exited the residence and was arrested. After being given his Miranda warning, Ritzenthaler allegedly said that, prior to the chase, he saw the officer’s flashing vehicle lights, but did not hear the sirens. When asked about his attempted escape, Ritzenthaler reportedly said he chose “the path with the least amount of people,” according to the affidavit.
Before setting bail, Judge J. Andrew Toynbee noted Ritzenthaler’s “lengthy criminal history” which included, by his count, four active warrants at the time of arrest, along with the allegation that Ritzenthaler had failed to report to his community corrections officer (CCO) as part of his DOC supervision.
The charging documents stated that Ritzenthaler had not been in contact with his CCO since April 8, and that he has had 21 arrest warrants issued in the past. Ritzenthaler also has felony convictions for criminal mischief with a deadly weapon, second-degree assault, residential burglary, forgery and second-degree theft, according to the affidavit.
The judge set bail at $75,000 cash or bond. An arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 18, with Don Blair assigned to represent Ritzenthaler.
