National Guardsman accused of molesting a Richland boy. U.S. Marshals make the arrest

An Oregon National Guardsman is locked up on $100,000 bail for allegedly molesting a Richland boy after a fight-viewing party at the victim’s family home.

Tyrone M. Morris, 39, was arrested Thursday by the U.S. Marshals Service on a nationwide warrant out of Benton County Superior Court.

He was picked up where he is stationed at the Umatilla Chemical Depot, and booked into the Umatilla County jail.

The warrant was issued Wednesday by Judge Cameron Mitchell for one count of first-degree child molestation.

According to court documents, Morris joined others Jan. 18 at a Richland home to watch a televised boxing match and play cards.

The hosts later invited guests to spend the night since they had been drinking alcohol. People went to sleep at 2 a.m.

The parents were woken up about 7 a.m. by their son asking to climb into bed with them. His friend, who’d also spent the night, was with the boy and said he was scared.

That’s when there was a knock on the bedroom door and Morris was standing there dressed only in underwear and behaving strangely, documents said.

The father said Morris appeared “out of it,” was yelling at people that weren’t there and alternated between trying to fight the father and making sexual advances, court documents said.

Meanwhile, the mother took the two boys out for breakfast to get them out of the house. Her son disclosed that Morris had gotten into bed with the two boys and touched him, documents said.

The mother knew that Morris is active-duty National Guard and called his supervisor, who drove from Umatilla to pick up Morris.

In a later interview with investigators, the boy disclosed that Morris was naked when he got into bed with them. He said he eventually was able to get away from Morris by punching him and pushing him away, court documents said.

The younger friend told investigators that he woke up to find the boy had left the room and Morris was cussing, asking him to be friends and kissing him on the forehead, documents said.

Morris allegedly tried to keep the boy in the room, but the boy eventually was able to get away. Morris reportedly followed him to the parents’ bedroom.

He now faces extradition from Oregon before he will appear in a Benton County courtroom.