It's that time of year when Halloween is fast approaching and thoughts turn to all things spooky, like ghosts, monsters, werewolves, and vampires. But for a Bremerton man, spooky got a little too real when his roommate became convinced he was a vampire and assaulted him with a metal rod.

According to a news report, Kitsap County charged a 40-year-old man in Bremerton after he used a metal rod to nudge his roommate in the chest and asked him if he was a vampire. The roommate jokingly replied, “Is that what the kids are calling me these days?”

The suspect took that as an admission, struck him with the rod, and threatened to kill him. The roommate, who said the accused has mental issues and is much bigger than him physically, feared for his life and ran to a neighbor's to call the police.

The police responded to the scene and used a public announcement system to try to convince the suspect to come out. But eventually, the deputies had to force their way into the suspect's room and then arrested him.

The accused admitted to confronting his roommate about being a vampire but denied assaulting him. He claimed the roommate had charged at him and that he pushed him away while holding the rod.

The accused is now facing a third-degree assault charge, which is a felony.

Felony Assault Charges

The suspect in this case will most likely undergo a mental evaluation ordered by the court, but felony assault charges are very serious in Washington. RCW 9A.36.031 states that 

(1) A person is guilty of assault in the third degree if he or she, under circumstances not amounting to assault in the first or second degree:

(d) With criminal negligence, causes bodily harm to another person by means of a weapon or other instrument or thing likely to produce bodily harm;

Assault in the third degree is a class C felony and punishable up to five years in prison and up to $10,000 in fines.

In addition to jail time and fines, a felony conviction can also follow the defendant for a long time, even after getting out of jail. Felons may have limited rights and opportunities in housing, benefits, and may be prohibited from owning a firearm. If you are facing a felony conviction, you need to understand your rights before pleading guilty to any criminal charges.

Steve Karimi, Defense Attorney

If you are facing the prospect of real jail time and real fines over monstrous charges, you need the legal expert defense of the Law Offices of Steve Karimi. Call 206-621-8777 today or fill out a contact form to get started on a free consultation of your case.