Prosecutors have charged two residents of Montesano with reckless endangerment after a 4 year old boy was tossed from a bridge into the Wynoochee River last week in Montesano. There is footage taken on a cell phone that depicts the boy being thrown off a bridge by a man that is unidentified in the video, into the river below. Witnesses report that the mother of the child was onlooking. A friend of the child's parents called 911. Sheriff's deputies responded to the Devonshire Bridge, and while the boy survived the fall, prosecutors chose to charge the mother for reckless endangerment as well as criminal trespassing in the 2nd degree. Reckless Endangerment can entail jail time, or a $5000 fine. Criminal Trespass in the 2nd degree is a misdemeanor that can be punished with more jail time, or a $1000 fine.
On Wednesday, August 31 at around 10:45am, Aberdeen Police Officer Cody Blodgett and Officer Kristy Lougheed responded to the 2000 block of Bay Avenue in Aberdeen for a request from Child Protective Services to assist in serving a court order to take two children at the residence into protective custody in reference to the 4 year old boy being thrown off the Devonshire Train Bridge recently. When the officers arrived with CPS, the family was at the residence. There was a dog secured in a back room that was labeled as dangerous. During the emotional discussion that ensued between CPS and the family, the dog was accidentally let out of the back room when the grandfather went to the room. The dog had a muzzle on it, but tried to bite Officer Lougheed on the leg. The dog turned on Officer Blodgett and tried to attack him. Officer Blodgett attempted to tase the dog, but it failed when one of the probes didn't strike the dog. The mother of the 4 year old jumped in and grabbed the dog with the 4 year old in her arms, before Officer Blodgett told her to get away from the dog with the child in her arms. The grandfather finally was able to get a hold of the dog and secure the dog into the back room.
The Animal Control officer was called and took custody of the dog for impound. The dog has been designated as a dangerous dog previously. CPS took custody of the two children per the court order without further incident.