PORT ANGELES — Bail has been set at $5,000 for a Sequim woman accused of assaulting her husband and a boy before fleeing from police last week.
Melody Sue White, 48, is being held for investigation of first-degree burglary, fourth-degree assault with domestic violence, fourth-degree assault, eluding a pursuing police vehicle and resisting arrest for separate incidents Friday.
Bail was set Tuesday. Formal charges are expected to be filed at White’s next court appearance Thursday.
The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office alleged that White barged into a Carlsborg residence shortly after midnight Friday and threw a juvenile against the wall before slapping him and punching him in the head.
White’s husband ran into the living room and held White down to allow the boy to escape, deputies said. White punched her husband in the face when he released her, the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Sequim police spotted White driving in a 1997 Lexus near the Sequim Walmart at about 8:42 p.m. Friday and initiated a traffic stop on West Spruce Court.
White fled from police and deputies by driving over spike strips that had been placed in front of her car, deputies said.
White led law enforcement on a 1.2 mile pursuit to the 200 block of West Alder Street where she began to “serpentine her vehicle back and forth across both lanes of travel at a slow speed,” Clallam County Sheriff’s Sgt. Shaun Minks said.
The Lexus White was driving had a flat front tire, deputies said.
When officers and deputies moved in to pin the Lexus, White took a sharp left turn and slammed into the front of a deputy’s patrol vehicle, Minks said.
White was pinned by other deputies when she stopped in front of her residence a short time later, Minks said.
Based on the nature of the allegations, Clallam Count Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Sarah Woolman requested a $50,000 bail for White at her first court appearance Tuesday.
Harry Gasnick, Clallam Public Defender director, asked the court to release his client with no bail, citing White’s lack of warrant history and lack of financial resources.
“She has had 21 or more court dates showing since about 2007 and no warrants,” Gasnick told Superior Court Judge Christopher Melly. “She shows up.”
Melly said a $5,000 bail was appropriate because White was alleged to have assaulted a minor and was alleged to have attempted to eluded officers by ramming a patrol car.
“Some of these things cause the court some concern with regard to community safety issues,” Melly said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
