Wed., March 21, 2012

Lewis to remain in jail on $500k bond

An 18-year-old man accused of killing a retired principal who was trying to break up an underage party will remain jailed on $500,000 bond.

If Treven Lewis does post bond, he is required to check in with his attorney regularly, refrain from using alcohol and must have no contact with what Spokane County Deputy Prosecutor Larry Haskell described as "a lengthy list of people."

Lewis' public defender, Kari Reardon, agreed to the conditions and did not ask Superior Court Judge Annette Plese to reduce the $500,000 bond at Lewis' court appearance this afternoon.

Lewis' family members attended his court appearance but declined to speak with reporters. Lewis' next court appearance is March 27 at 9 a.m.

Haskell noted that Lewis was supposed to stay away from alcohol as part of his conditions for leaving jail on a separate assault charge last summer.

Lewis was awaiting trial on that case when he was arrested for the beating of Frank J. Motta, 65, who died last Thursday after being attacked while trying to clear out his neighbor's teen son's drinking party the previous weekend.

Witnesses said Lewis pushed Motta to the ground and punched him once in the head after Motta nudged Lewis' girlfriend while telling her and others they needed to leave.

Motta, a Vietnam veteran and patient advocate at the Spokane veterans hospital, will be remembered Sunday in a memorial service open only to friends and family.

Lewis' criminal history began at a young age and includes an adult felony conviction and six juvenile misdemeanors.

Last July, he was arrested after a woman rding her bicycle near 1500 E. Upriver Drive told police she saw Lewis slap his girlfriend, then yell at her to get up when she fell to the ground. Lewis posted $1,000 bond, and prosecutors dismissed the misdemeanor assault charge because his girlfriend would not cooperate, accoridng to court documents.