PORT ANGELES — A Forks man has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for the attempted burglary of a West End auto shop.
William “Billy” Frank Hultenschmidt, 46, pleaded guilty Thursday to single counts of attempted first-degree burglary, third-degree theft and third-degree malicious mischief.
Forks police chased a masked Hultenschmidt at gunpoint from Thornton’s Auto at 1631 S. Forks Ave. in the early morning hours of Sept. 9 and stopped him in a field by deploying a stun gun, according to the affidavit for probable cause.
A resisting arrest charge and deadly weapon enhancement to the attempted burglary charge were dismissed in exchange for Hultenschmidt’s guilty plea.
Forks Police Officer Donald Ponton said he was dispatched to the business at 12:31 a.m. Sept. 9 and found a man later identified as Hultenschmidt facing a window with his hands on the window sill.
“He looked at me and I could see that he was wearing a full face mask with eye holes,” Ponton said in the affidavit for probable cause.
“He turned away and I yelled ‘Stop. Police!’ The person began running along the south side of the building toward the woods.”
Ponton said he encountered Hultenschmidt when they rounded a corner of a mobile home. Hultenschmidt drew a knife and held it toward the lawman, Ponton said.
“I immediately yelled ‘Drop the knife!’ and went for my gun,” Ponton said in the affidavit.
“Billy turned away from me and began running south through an open field area. I yelled at him to stop and to drop the knife or I would shoot him.”
Hultenschmidt stopped abruptly and turned toward Ponton when Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputy James Gribbon deployed a stun gun, causing Hultenschmidt to drop the knife and fall to the ground, Ponton said.
“I made the statement that I almost shot him,” Ponton said in the affidavit.
“He stated that he would have deserved it.”
Hultenschmidt told police that he was pilfering through some trash at the back of the building and had taken two survival rescue blankets, court papers said.
He denied that he entered the building.
Hultenschmidt, who had no previous criminal history, pleaded guilty to lesser charges as part of an agreement negotiated by defense attorney Douglas Kresl of Clallam Public Defender and deputy prosecuting attorney Matthew Roberson.
“I believe this is a fair resolution,” Roberson told Clallam County Superior Court Judge Lauren Erickson on Thursday.
“Yes, it’s a high-end resolution, but he’s being spared extra prison time.”
Erickson imposed the 15-month sentence as recommended by the attorneys.
“I’d just like to move on and better my life,” Hultenschmidt told the judge.
Hultenschmidt will be on community custody supervision for one year after his release.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsula dailynews.com.
