Man charged for allegedly assaulting daughter, strangling girlfriend in Chehalis

May 1-Bail is set at $25,000 for a Chehalis man accused of assaulting his daughter and strangling his girlfriend on Thursday.

Johnathon Ray Hamilton, 52, faces one count each of second- and fourth-degree assault, domestic violence.

He was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 1:56 a.m. on May 1, according to jail records.

Hamilton was allegedly "play fighting" with his adult daughter at his residence on Cristler Road in Chehalis. The daughter reported that Hamilton had become "unusually aggressive" and was "pushing her and elbowing the back of her neck," according to court documents.

The daughter reported that Hamilton ignored her repeatedly telling him to stop, and that she ultimately punched Hamilton to get him off of her.

Hamilton then allegedly approached his girlfriend, who witnessed the incident, and began arguing with her.

During that argument, Hamilton allegedly grabbed her by the neck and strangled her until she lost consciousness.

A male witness reportedly intervened and pulled Hamilton away, according to court documents.

The witness left the scene with Hamilton's daughter, who called 911.

Responding Lewis County Sheriff's Office deputies reportedly documented physical injuries on the victims, noting that the injuries corroborated their accounts of the incident.

Deputies were initially unable to locate Hamilton at his residence. His girlfriend advised that he had been "heavily drinking" and "may be hiding nearby," according to court documents.

A K9 ultimately located Hamilton in the woods.

He appeared in court on Friday, May 1, with obvious physical injuries, which defense attorney-for-the-day Rachael Tiller said happened because Hamilton was "mauled by a dog."

Tiller expressed concern for Hamilton's physical and mental health, and advocated for his release from jail.

Judge J. Andrew Toynbee set bail at $25,000 and granted domestic violence no-contact orders protecting the victims.

Arraignment is scheduled for May 7.

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This story was originally published May 2, 2026 at 11:18 AM.