A man accused of assaulting a woman and trying to force her into a vehicle near railroad tracks in Chehalis on Feb. 8 has been arrested.
James Harry Hart, 51, of Chehalis, was booked into the Lewis County Jail at approximately 4:07 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, according to jail records.
Hart was charged Monday, Feb. 24, in Lewis County Superior Court with one count each of second-degree assault, domestic violence; second-degree attempted kidnapping, domestic violence; fourth-degree assault, domestic violence; and attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle.
He did not appear in court for his preliminary hearing Monday due to illness, according to his defense attorney. His hearing was rescheduled to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
Hart was arrested after officers with the Chehalis Police Department investigated after more than 100 Railfan viewers witnessed the assault through the Railfan camera’s livestream of the tracks near the Lewis County Historical Museum at approximately 4:17 p.m. on Feb. 8, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
The footage, which was provided to the Chehalis Police Department, shows a male subject, who has since allegedly been identified as Hart, trying to put a possibly injured female into a white vehicle at the intersection of Northwest State Avenue and Northwest Prindle Street, according to call logs from the Chehalis Police Department.
An officer who reviewed the Railfan camera footage noted that the victim could be seen walking away from the passenger side door of a white vehicle before the vehicle “begins to follow and lurches towards her,” according to court documents. The male subject, who the officer “identified as James Harry Hart based on the officer’s previous contacts with him,” is then seen exiting the vehicle and walking towards the victim.
The video footage reportedly shows the victim trying to get away from Hart as Hart grabs her. She is reportedly seen falling to the ground during the struggle, at which point Hart allegedly “dragged/pulled (the victim) by her hair toward the vehicle and attempted to push her inside,” according to court documents.
The footage reportedly shows the victim get away from Hart and start walking away before Hart is seen getting into the vehicle and driving off from view of the camera, according to court documents.
Hart allegedly fled the scene in the vehicle at approximately 4:18 p.m., according to call logs, which indicate he eluded police and fled south on Interstate 5 toward Camas.
An affidavit of probable cause filed in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday states that Hart allegedly “accelerated and weaved through traffic, passing other vehicles” and “almost striking the rear of a van” while driving on the shoulder of the interstate.
“Due to Hart’s driving and the heavy traffic,” the pursuing officer discontinued the pursuit “as it may cause danger to the public.”
The officer last saw Hart on southbound Interstate 5 at Exit 72 in Napavine. The vehicle’s information was uploaded to the Flock Safety camera system and other officers were notified “to be on the lookout for the vehicle.”
The victim was treated at the scene for non-life threatening injuries, according to the Chehalis Police Department.
When interviewed by an officer, the victim reported that a man, who she identified as Hart, “attempted to drag her into his car and drug her across the train tracks through the gravel by her hair,” according to court documents.
She reported that Hart was supposed to pick her up, but was acting “crazy” when he arrived. She said she “walked over the train tracks to get away from him, but he was acting crazy and tried to run her over” before he allegedly “started to yank her by the hair to get her into the car,” according to court documents.
Hart’s criminal history includes domestic violence convictions from 2024, 2019 and 2003 in Washington state and two additional domestic violence convictions from 2016 and 2017 in California, according to court documents.
