A man accused of stealing a vehicle from a garage in Salkum then returning to the garage, stealing fishing gear, barricading himself inside and attempting to hit a deputy with a piece of lumber on Saturday is now facing multiple felony charges in Lewis County Superior Court.
The defendant, Timothy Michael Wallace Jr., 31, of Centralia, was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail just before 11:10 p.m. on Feb. 25.
A deputy with the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office reportedly found Wallace in the garage, located on a property in the 100 block of Echo Lane, on Saturday while he was investigating a possible vehicle theft.
The vehicle in question was found abandoned at the intersection of Spencer and Brim roads about three days prior. The vehicle’s ignition had been heavily damaged with a screwdriver inserted, indicating it was likely stolen, according to an affidavit filed in Lewis County Superior Court on Monday.
When contacted by a deputy, the vehicle’s registered owner reported it had been stored at the Salkum property and confirmed it had likely been stolen.
When the deputy first approached the Salkum property, he reportedly observed a man standing in the single bay garage and saw a silver Cadillac driving away. The garage was closed by the time the deputy arrived at the property, but the deputy could reportedly hear somebody inside.
The man was later identified as Wallace.
Wallace allegedly refused to exit the garage when commanded by the deputy, according to the affidavit. The deputy then called for backup and got permission from the property owner to enter the garage.
When deputies forced entry, Wallace allegedly “had a 2x4 piece of lumber in his hands and he raised it to hit (a) deputy,” but the deputy was able to block it with his ballistic shield.
Wallace “eventually” dropped the piece of lumber and was taken into custody, according to court documents.
A search of the garage found a Ford truck with a battery charger attached. Law enforcement believes Wallace was trying to start the vehicle.
A friend of the property owner responded and helped law enforcement search the property to confirm if anything was stolen.
“In looking at all the structures on the property, it appeared they had all been entered and property (was) taken,” per the affidavit.
The property owner’s friend reportedly recognized a large amount of fishing gear worth over $5,000 in total was missing.
As of Monday, the property owner still needed to inventory her property to see what else was missing, according to the affidavit.
Wallace has since been charged with one count each of first-degree burglary, second-degree assault, attempted theft of a motor vehicle, first-degree theft and resisting arrest.
First-degree burglary is a class A felony carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison. Except for resisting arrest, which is a misdemeanor, the other charges are class B felonies with maximum penalties of 10 years in prison.
Judge Joely Yeager set Wallace’s bail at $50,000 on Monday due to community safety concerns and Wallace’s criminal history, which includes an attempt to elude conviction he was sentenced on earlier this month. That sentence included three to four weeks in an inpatient treatment program, which was completed shortly before his arrest on Saturday, according to Yeager.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence that he can follow court orders,” Yeager said Monday. “He not only is a threat to community safety but also a flight risk.”
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, March 2.
