Missoula Weekly Crime Report: One Man Threatened to Shoot a Clerk in the Face

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office filed 17 new criminal complaints this week. According to County Attorney Kristen Pabst, four of those cases involved intimate partner violence.

“The first was an assault with a weapon and a partner or family member assault third offense,” Pabst said. “The second case included bodily injury and the third was a strangulation. The fourth involved several counts of violation of privacy and communication, which involves communicating threatening or scary messages via electronic communication, which is typically on the phone or in an email. There were also several counts of violation of an order of protections.”

In another case, the defendant allegedly punched the victim outside of a pawn shop. The defendant claimed the victim owed him $80. The defendant was charged with assault causing bodily injury, criminal trespass to property, and obstructing a public servant.

“The property crimes category ballooned a little bit,” Pabst said. “We had five new property crimes cases that we charged. Two of those involved arson allegations and one was a theft. In the theft case, the defendant allegedly stole several grocery and merchandise items from various businesses totaling upwards of $2,000. Upon arrest, drugs were located including scheduled prescriptions drugs.”

Pabst said they also charged a criminal mischief and criminal trespass to property after a defendant allegedly went onto a neighbor’s property and damaged some lawn and garden items. The defendant had reportedly been upset at his neighbor over a perceived road rage incident that happened well over a year ago.

“In the last case involving a property crime, we charged criminal mischief and we are looking at other charges as well,” Pabst said. “In that case, the defendant allegedly asked for a propane fill and was turned away. The defendant became angry and then threatened to shoot the clerk in the face. On the way out, he allegedly damaged security equipment to the tune of $5,000.”

In addition, Pabst said her office charged one felony DUI and two fugitives from justice complaints.

“In the first, the defendant was a fugitive from the state of Ohio for failing to keep his registration current,” Pabst said. “In the second, the defendant is a fugitive from Washington with two counts of child molestation there.”

Finally, there were four new drug cases that involved mostly meth, a little heroin, and some prescription drugs.