Three suspects accused of kidnapping a Pasco woman over a stolen cellphone are in jail on $500,000 bail.
Kelsey M. Cavazos, 18, of Kennewick; Carrie L. Childs, 48, of Richland; and Logan W. Roberts, 23, of Kennewick, made preliminary appearances Wednesday afternoon in Franklin County Superior Court.
Judge Cameron Mitchell ordered the three held in the Franklin County jail on investigation of first-degree kidnapping. Prosecutors have until Friday to charge or release them.
If charged, they are expected to enter pleas to the crime Tuesday.
Defense attorney Matt Rutt was appointed to represent Roberts, and Shelley Ajax was appointed to represent Childs. Cavazos told Mitchell that her mother was in court and would be hiring an attorney.
Prosecutor Shawn Sant asked for $500,000 bail based on the serious nature of the offense. He also said Pasco police still are continuing their investigation and he may ask for higher bail once more information is available.
Childs told Mitchell she has no prior criminal history. "This is the first time I've ever been in jail," she said.
Mitchell said the high bail was warranted because the allegations against her indicate "you are a danger to the community."
The 19-year-old victim was accused of taking a cellphone from a friend of the suspects, and they attempted to get the phone back by holding her against her will, said Pasco police Capt. Jim Raymond.
Victoria Cook called police at 11 a.m. Tuesday after she was able to escape from the Richland home and return to her house in the 600 block of North Douglas Street.
According to court documents, Cavazos went to Cook's home Monday, grabbed her arm and pulled her into a car. Cavazos then drove Cook to the area of Oregon Avenue and East Lewis Street, where she picked up Roberts and Childs, documents said.
They drove her to Childs' home in the 2400 block of Horizon View Lane in Richland and tied her up, documents said.
The three suspects apparently worked as a team to interrogate Cook, whose hands were bound, documents said. Cavazos is accused of repeatedly assaulting Cook, and Childs reportedly kicked her, documents said.
Cavazos told Cook that if she was not going to tell them the truth and they found out she way lying, they were going to tie her hands and feet and duct tape her mouth and throw her in the river, documents said.
Roberts apparently did not physically harm Cook, but he threatened to knock her out and stood by while Childs and Cavazos assaulted her, documents said.
Roberts also reportedly told Cook she was lucky he didn't knock her out and throw her into the river, documents said.
2 Othello women injured in crash
Unsafe passing is to blame for an early morning Wednesday crash about six miles north of Pasco that sent two Othello women to the hospital, the Washington State Patrol reported.
Rosa I. Mendoza, 20, of Othello, was driving a 2003 Honda Accord south on Highway 295 behind a slow-moving semi-truck about 6:44 a.m., the state patrol said.
Another semi-truck, driven by Delores Gutierrez Lopez, 47, of Dinuba, Calif., was turning south onto Highway 395 from Phend Road when Mendoza pulled out from behind the slow-moving truck and attempted to pass it. She struck Gutierrez Lopez's 1997 Mack truck, the state patrol said.
Mendoza and her passenger, Alicia Mendoza, 31, of Othello, were taken to Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. Gutierrez Lopez was not injured, the state patrol reported.
3 accused in attack held on $75,000 bail
Three Kennewick men accused of attacking a Pasco hot dog vendor and destroying his stand are being held in the Franklin County jail on $75,000 bail.
Mark Serna, 29, Jimmy Cuellar, 23, and Daniel Gallegos, 29, were arrested Tuesday on warrants and made preliminary appearances in Franklin County Superior Court.
Judge Cameron Mitchell ordered them held on investigation of second-degree robbery and second-degree malicious mischief, along with a gross misdemeanor count of rioting.
A fourth co-defendant, Jose Sandoval Jr., 28, of Pasco, pleaded innocent Tuesday to the same charges and faces a Dec. 7 trial. His bail is set at $50,000.
Sandoval, Serna and Cuellar are members of a gang, Pasco police Detective Brad Gregory said in court documents.
The men are accused of stealing a hot dog from a hot dog stand outside the Red Lion Hotel in Pasco, destroying the stand when the owner confronted them and taking money from the tip jar.
Victim Derek Perot runs a small hot dog stand in the hotel's parking lot, and told Pasco police the four men approached him and asked for a free hot dog. He reportedly gave them one, but refused to hand over any more without payment and then turned around to work on something else at his stand.
That's when Perot caught Cuellar allegedly taking a hot dog and eating it. He confronted Cuellar, but Serna stepped in and tried to strike Perot, who avoided being hit and ran around his stand to get away, court documents said.
The suspects destroyed the stand by flipping the tables and barbecues over and spilling all of the food, documents said. Perot told police that money was missing from his tip jar, and estimated the total damage to his equipment at about $1,000.
At one point, one of the men allegedly mentioned the name of a gang, which was intended to frighten the victim. Passersby tried to stop the destruction but were attacked as well, prosecutors said.
2 arrests made in Sunnyside robbery
Sunnyside police called in SWAT teams after a robbery suspect fled into an attic in Sunnyside on Wednesday.
Two young men allegedly threatened a 19-year-old man with a knife and demanded money near South First Street and Lincoln Avenue about 2 p.m.
An officer who was nearby saw the suspects and immediately arrested a 16-year-old. The other suspect, later identified as Matthew Ray Garcia, 19, ran into a nearby home and refused to come out.
Police obtained a search warrant and called SWAT because the suspect was known as a gang member, according to police.
Officers found Garcia in the attic. He was arrested on suspicion of robbery and burglary. The other suspect was arrested in connection with the robbery.
The victim was not injured.
