PORT TOWNSEND — A man accused of dousing a sleeping Discovery Bay couple with lighter fluid and then threatening to set them ablaze has turned himself in after hearing about his appearance on the regional television show, “Washington’s Most Wanted.”
“He showed up at the jail Aug. 10 and said he wanted to clear it all up,” said Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Mike Stringer.
“He told the jailer that he knew he had appeared on television, and that’s why he had come in.”
Donald Dean Pruitt, 53, of Quilcene is charged with one count of burglary, two counts of assault and one count of intimidating a witness, for allegedly breaking into the home of Loren Phelps and Roseanne Maki, pouring lighter fluid on them as they were sleeping and threatening to light them on fire.
Pruitt made an initial appearance in court Tuesday, where he was assigned a public defender. His arraignment is scheduled for Aug. 21 at 8:30 a.m.
As of Thursday night, he remained in the Jefferson County jail on $50,000 bail.
According to court documents:
Phelps called the sheriff’s department the evening of July 28 and said that Pruitt, who was staying in a trailer on the property, held a lighter in his hand, after dousing Phelps and Maki in lighter fluid, and threatened to ignite them.
Pruitt was apparently upset about an argument that took place days earlier, he told deputies.
Phelps said he scared him off the property, and watched him flee on foot, before he phoned for help, but after the deputies took the report and left the house, Pruitt contacted Phelps by phone.
“Pruitt has called Loren Phelps and told Phelps he had been under the porch while [deputies] were at the residence,” the sheriff’s report says.
“Hearing the conversation we were having with Phelps, [he] then threatened him over the phone.”
Pruitt then threatened to burn down Phelps’ house.
Story airs on television
Stringer told the story to David Rose, host of “Washington’s Most Wanted” — which airs on Fox affiliates at 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday — and Pruitt’s face appeared on the statewide program Aug. 7.
Stringer said Pruitt has been sought by police for months on charges of driving under the influence.
“He knew we were looking at him even before this incident,” Stringer said.
“He’s someone that we have been trying to find for some time.
“But the show likes to get stories like this, and finding him became a lot more serious after the lighter fluid incident.”
The Sheriff’s Office and “Washington’s Most Wanted” came to an agreement to work together in June.
First in custody
Pruitt is the third fugitive from Jefferson County to be featured on the show, but the first to be taken into custody.
The two other men from Jefferson County who were featured on the television show remain at large.
Donald Eugene Routh, a convicted sex offender who has not registered an address in the area, was featured in June when he didn’t show up in court for a hearing on charges of possession of methamphetamine.
Steven Ward Froehlich, a former Quilcene resident, also was featured in June. He is wanted for failure to appear in court after being arrested for investigation of trespassing on private property and assaulting officers.
Stringer said he is thrilled with the response has seen for the local “Most Wanted” list on the sheriff’s Web site at www.jeffersonsheriff.org.
At the beginning of June, Stringer made it a point to update the sheriff’s Most Wanted site on a regular basis.
“It was always there. It just wasn’t active,” Stringer said. “Now, I come into work and check it every day.”
As for the television show, 72 featured fugitives have been arrested since November,
Rose said many fugitives from justice travel across the state while fleeing law enforcement. He hopes that, by broadcasting statewide, the show helps law enforcement agencies reach more people.
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Reporter Erik Hidle can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at erik.hidle@peninsuladailynews.com.
