Ghosthunter charged in clash with Richland teens in old Mabton school

A purported Yakima ghosthunter has been charged with second-degree assault and attempted robbery after authorities say he accosted a group of Richland teens in an old Mabton schoolhouse.

Christopher Sutley, 27, is accused of pointing a pistol — which Mabton police later said was a BB pellet gun — at the teens and demanded they hand over what was in their pockets, as well as assaulting a boy in the group.

Sutley was with a group of four other people from Yakima who said they were “paranormal activity investigators,” according to an affidavit filed by Mabton police.

The teens, members of Richland High School’s dance team, told police they went to the abandoned school on Aug. 22 because they had heard it was haunted.

After climbing through a second-floor window using a ladder, they were confronted by Sutley, who was wearing a tactical vest and pointing a pistol in one teen’s face, the affidavit said.

Sutley, the teens told police, demanded they hand over their belongings and their identification. At that point, the teens panicked and ran, and a boy in the group told officers Sutley hit him in the face.

The boy was evaluated by firefighters at the scene and declined medical treatment.

Sutley’s companions were in a different part of the building and were not involved in the incident, police said.

The mother of one of the teens told police that as she called 911, she saw a man in a group of people who came out of the school, take off a vest and throw it in the bushes.

Police said Sutley was carrying a BB pistol made to look like a Ruger pistol when they detained him.

Sutley was being held in the Yakima County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. In 2011, he was sentenced to four months in jail after pleading guilty to burglary and possession of stolen property.

The school was built in 1911 and was used as a high school until 1938. It was then used as an elementary school and closed its doors in 1960.

The Mabton Historical Society bought the school from the district in 1977 and sold it to Mabton Historic LLC in 2002, which planned to convert it into a wine bistro, bed and breakfast and retail center.

This story was originally published September 1, 2015 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Ghosthunter charged in clash with Richland teens in old Mabton school."