[1]Jesse L. Harkcom sits before a judge in Lewis County Superior Court for his bail hearing this afternoon.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Bail was set at $1 million today for one of three suspects in a Chehalis home invasion robbery.
Jesse L. Harkcom, 34, was arrested in Lacey on drug charges yesterday and transported to the Lewis County Jail to be charged for the March 26 incident.
Charges were filed today in Lewis County Superior Court and Harkcom was brought before a judge this afternoon.
If convicted as charged, it would be a third strike offense, meaning a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lewis County Intern Deputy Prosecutor Amber Caulfield advised the judge Harkcom has a 1998 conviction for first-degree burglary and a 2011 conviction for second-degree robbery, among his 11 felony convictions.
“At this time, the state would request $1 million,” Caulfield said.
Defense attorney Joely O’Rourke in citing reasons for her request of $25,000 bail, said her client has been a law abiding citizen for the past year and a half, has opened a cleaning service business and has a stable residence in Lacey.
“Given the circumstances, I think the state’s request is reasonable,” Lewis County Superior Court Judge Richard Brosey said.
According to charging documents, it was just after 11:30 at night when police were called to the victim’s home on Southwest 10th Street just just off Market Boulevard.
She was living in a shed behind a residence and packing to move out when three males kicked in her door and came inside. They were dressed in black and wearing gloves, she told police.
The first male yelled, “Where are the valuables”, the second male stood next to her bed holding a pistol and the third male stepped right back outside where he stood with his arms crossed, according to charging documents. She believed he also had a gun.
The woman, 40 years old, according to police, recognized the first male’s voice as Harkcom, someone she’d known since the previous month, charging documents relate.
She said Harkcom grabbed her Playstation 4, 20-inch monitor, a DVR, laptop computer and miscellaneous property.
Charging documents state she told them she was going to call police and the second male told her “she didn’t want to do that because he didn’t want to have to hurt her,” Lewis County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead wrote in the documents.
The woman said she got a small scratch on her leg when Harkcom threw a four-foot long fluorescent light fixture which hit her.
She ran to the residence to tell her roommate what happened and he saw the three get into a dark colored truck and drive away, according to Halstead.
The victim was asked why Harkcom would do something like this and she said he and her boyfriend had traded watches and the watch Harkcom received turned out to be fake.
Charging documents also relate that when Harkcom was booked into the Lewis County Jail, a search turned up a small baggie in his waistband containing two pills and a black tar substance.
Harkcom is charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree burglary and possession of heroin.
Centralia lawyer David Arcuri was appointed to represent him. His arraignment is scheduled for Thursday.
Chehalis police said yesterday the other two suspects are still outstanding.
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For background, read “News brief: Chehalis home invasion suspect found, booked” from Thursday June 9, 2016, here [2]