Man pleads guilty in assault case

A Spokane man who was charged with kidnapping his former girlfriend and trying to force her to watch him kill himself pleaded guilty Wednesday to reduced charges.

Jason D. Sarrazin, 24, made his plea just as a jury was about to begin hearing testimony in his trial for alleged first-degree kidnapping and second-degree assault.

Superior Court Judge Kathleen O’Connor sentenced Sarrazin to six months in jail after he pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment and third-degree assault. Sarrazin entered an Alford plea in which he disputed the facts but admitted there was enough evidence to convict him.

According to court documents, Sarrazin got drunk in October and went to the home of his ex-girlfriend, Kimberly A. Scott, about 4 a.m. in violation of a protection order. He pushed his way into her apartment and dragged her back when she ran to a neighbor’s door for help, then he held her down with a hand on her throat and punched her in the knee, the documents say.

Sarrazin forced Scott to drive him to a rural property in the Loon Lake area of Stevens County, where he directed her to stand outside her car and watch while he tried to kill himself with exhaust fumes from a plugged tailpipe, the documents say. She twice opened a car door and tried to persuade Sarrazin to get out, but he closed the door and ordered her to remain in sight.

Scott told authorities she went to a nearby hunting camp for help when Sarrazin appeared to fall asleep. A hunter flagged down an approaching log truck, and the driver called the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office on his cell phone.

Sarrazin ran away when the driver, William Kinder, confronted him.

Two hospitalized after South Hill accident

A woman was in critical condition Wednesday after the car she was driving collided with a flatbed truck on the South Hill, Spokane police reported.

Investigators believe that the woman, whose name was not released, may have had a medical problem that caused her to crash into the truck about 11:40 a.m., said Sgt. Joe Walker in a press release.

She was headed north on Walnut Street and approaching Ninth Avenue when she hit the northbound truck in front of her, which had stopped for a Spokane Transit Authority bus, Walker said.

The bus was not hit in the crash. Drivers of the car and truck were transported to a hospital, Walker said.

The condition of the truck driver was not released.

Colfax suspects may be going to Canada

Colfax police said Wednesday that two people allegedly involved in a marijuana-growing operation and an assault Saturday afternoon may be headed for Canada.

Investigators have also received tips that Colfax residents Angela and Kenneth Haggith have been in the Moscow, Idaho, area, the department said.

Kenneth Haggith is white, about 6 feet tall and 190 pounds with brown eyes.

Angela Haggith is white, 5 feet 6 and 120 pounds with brown eyes. She is believed to be pregnant.

Police ask anyone with information on the Haggiths’ whereabouts to call them at (509) 397-4616.

Fund set up for family of slain man

A fund has been established to assist the family of an Otis Orchards man who was killed in an attempted robbery the day after Christmas.

Joseph K. Hatchie, a 47-year-old former military police officer, died after a clerk at Lew’s Smokeshop allegedly shot him when Hatchie brandished a realistic-looking pellet gun.

Hatchie’s family faced an eviction from their duplex, as well as mounting medical bills, according to the family. Hatchie had seven children and stepchildren, including four who lived at home. The youngest child is 8 years old.

The fund will be used to pay rent, utilities, food and other expenses, according to a press release from friends of the family. Donations can be made to the HLFC Help Fund for the benefit of the Kim Hatchie family, and checks can be sent to The Hayden Lake Friends Church, 251 W. Miles Ave., Hayden ID 83835. Checks may also be delivered to Mountain West Bank offices in Hayden, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene.

South Hill bank robbed at gunpoint

A gunman wearing camouflage pants and red goggles robbed a South Hill bank Wednesday evening, Spokane police reported.

The man, described as 6 feet 1 inch with a slender build, walked into Washington Trust, 611 E. 31st Ave., about 5:20 p.m., displayed a gun and demanded money, said Spokane police spokesman Dick Cottam.

The robber ran away.

Spokane police later pulled over a vehicle in Spokane Valley and detained a man believed to be involved in the robbery, Spokane police Cpl. Jon Strickland said. FBI officials, who took over the case from police Wednesday night, declined to provide further details.

Witness to New Year’s death sought

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a possible witness to a New Year’s Day incident of road rage that left a 41-year-old Athol woman dead.

Sheriff’s Capt. Ben Wolfinger said detectives conducted additional interviews with Vonette Larsen’s family members and learned that there was possibly another car in the area when Larsen was run over and killed.

Jonathan Wade Ellington, 45, was charged Tuesday in her death.

The killing happened around 12:35 p.m. on Scarcello Road, a half mile east of Highway 41. The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone in the area at that time to contact Detective Brad Maskell at (208) 446-1300.

A few tips on avoiding angry drivers

Though extreme, the New Year’s Day death in North Idaho is an example of how frustration on the roadways can escalate to violence, authorities warn.

Idaho State Police Capt. Wayne Longo said the local ISP dispatch receives at least six to 10 complaints of aggressive drivers each day.

“People call in on their cell phone absolutely incensed about the way someone is driving,” Longo said. He said the behavior includes drivers flashing their high beams, flipping off other drivers, tailgating and driving too aggressively.

Longo offers the following tips to drivers who might find themselves in a road rage situation:

•Let the police handle it. Call 911 and break off contact with the other driver.

•If you’re on the freeway, take the next exit, even if it’s inconvenient.

•Another option is to pull into a public parking lot or make a turn to get away from an aggressive driver.