A 54-year-old Toledo man was arrested Saturday, Oct. 4, and charged Monday in Lewis County Superior Court with two felonies and a gross misdemeanor after a trip to the Providence Centralia Hospital emergency room.
Daniel Rodriguez Aguilar, who is listed in court documents as a transient in the Toledo area, was charged with first-degree criminal impersonation, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of a controlled substance. His bail was set at $20,000 by Judge Paul Strophy during his preliminary hearing Monday.
Possession of a stolen vehicle is a Class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Criminal impersonation in the first degree is a Class C felony with a maximum punishment of five years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine. Possession of a controlled substance is considered a gross misdemeanor under state law, with a maximum fine of $1,000 and 364 days imprisonment.
On Oct. 4, Centralia police were notified of a reported stolen 2006 Lexus IS 250 in the area. Centralia Police Department Sgt. Patty Finch subsequently located the unoccupied vehicle at Providence Centralia Hospital near the emergency room doors. Officer Adam Haggerty was able to review security surveillance, which showed a male suspect wearing light-colored pants and a dark coat exiting the vehicle and walking into the hospital, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
An officer located the male suspect inside the hospital and asked for his name and date of birth. The male gave the names of David Casello, then Castello and finally Costel with a date of birth of May 5, 1965. Given he could not accurately remember his last name, officers believed that he was providing incorrect information, according to court documents. The male was detained and eventually identified as Aguilar with a date of birth of Feb. 20, 1971.
Aguilar reportedly said the owner of the vehicle owed him money and had “allowed him” to use the vehicle, according to court documents. During a search incident to arrest, officers reportedly located an unidentified powdery substance folded up in a dollar bill. Haggerty believed it to be a controlled substance with “a possible mixture of cocaine/fentanyl mixed with methamphetamine,” court documents state.
The vehicle had been reported stolen from King County, and Centralia police were able to contact the owner, who said he never loaned or allowed Aguilar to take the vehicle. The owner said he knows Aguilar and had seen him just prior to his vehicle being stolen. The owner responded and recovered his vehicle.
Court documents did not state why Aguilar traveled to the Providence Centralia emergency room.
A review of Aguilar’s criminal history indicated that he has three convictions for fourth-degree assault from March, and he has had nine prior warrants and was previously removed from the country by immigration proceedings, according to court documents.
Scott Jackson, senior deputy prosecuting attorney, requested a bail of $25,000 during the preliminary court hearing, despite Defense Attorney Rachael Tiller pointing out that bail had been previously set at $20,000.
Strophy maintained the previous bail at $20,000, citing Aguilar’s warrant history and the nature of the offenses. Aguilar’s arraignment and trial-setting appearance is scheduled for Oct. 9.
