By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Four young people are now locked up for reportedly helping hide the 22-year-old Adna man, who drew gunfire from an officer as he fled arrest for a misdemeanor warrant in Centralia.
Phillip A. Pinotti faces a first-degree assault charge for allegedly trying to run down a court security officer with his car following a short foot pursuit out of Centralia Municipal Court on Tuesday morning.
[1]Phillip A. Pinotti
The driver’s side window of Pinotti’s blue Subaru was shattered, but Pinotti’s injuries were limited to cuts on his face from the glass, according to authorities. He sped away and while his car was located that afternoon inside his garage in Adna, he wasn’t found until yesterday morning, at a residence on Bishop Road in Chehalis.
Deputies yesterday morning also arrested the resident of the home, Krystofer M. Yates, 19, and Yates’ girlfriend, Jaelynn N. Pluard, 22, who allegedly hid Pinotti. Both were booked into the Lewis County Jail for rendering criminal assistance.
Yates was additionally booked on a drug offense, as suspected heroin was found in his wallet, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
How and when Pinotti got to Bishop Road is unclear. Where he was for almost 24 hours is unknown.
But court documents give some ideas of how he managed to get out of Centralia and evade multiple officers who converged following the morning incident on West Maple Street – which took place between Centralia City Hall, where both the municipal court and police department are housed, and the next block to the west outside The Chronicle building.
Two of Pinotti’s Centralia friends were arrested the same afternoon at his home, also for rendering criminal assistance.
Eighteen-year-old Miguel V. Martinez and 22-year-old Kayla Burleson gave varying versions to law enforcement officers of what transpired.
One version has Tuesday morning beginning with the three of them driving together in Pinotti’s car to Centralia, as they all had court.
Martinez and Burleson appeared in Lewis County Superior Court before a judge yesterday afternoon but no charges were filed. Lewis County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecutor Brad Meagher asked the judge to continue to hold them in jail because the investigation was not complete.
Centralia Municipal Court security Officer Steve Howard was’t scheduled until this morning to be interview by detectives about his role, Meagher told the judge. Police Chief Bob Berg has said Officer Howard fired one shot, and it entered the vehicle.
Meagher’s declaration of probable cause to hold the pair, offered some details about the time period immediately following the escape from court.
It appears Burleson was sick and vomiting and didn’t attend her court hearing, but she and Martinez were across a parking lot in an alley just north of the Chronicle, according to the document.
The two either did or did not see Pinotti entering his vehicle and fleeing, but Martinez said they walked to the penny candy store north of there and met up with Pinotti, according to the document.
Martinez said he drove the car with Burleson in it to Adna, the document states.
Pinotti and his four friends are all scheduled to appear this afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court, to face whatever charges are filed.
•••
For background, read “Adna resident wanted for attempt to run down court officer located in Chehalis” from Wednesday December 17, 2014, here [2]