Man charged with assault, malicious mischief for allegedly spitting on a Centralia library employee, an officer and a police vehicle

Nov. 22 – Man accused of spitting at a Centralia Timberland Library employee, spitting at an officer who contacted him and then continuing to spit inside a police vehicle to the point that the vehicle had to be taken out of service for cleaning on Tuesday, faces criminal charges .

On Wednesday, November 20, in Lewis County Superior Court, 33-year-old Anthony Hector Garcia was charged with third-degree assault on a police officer and second-degree malicious mischief.

According to jail records, he was booked into the Lewis County Jail around 10:40 a.m. on Nov. 19 after Centralia Police officers responded to a report of a male disorderly conductor at the Centralia Timberland Library on the 100 block of South. Silver Street.

Court documents say the man, later identified as Garcia after refusing to give his name, “caused problems for staff and customers” and when told to leave, began “swearing and insulting staff.”

He allegedly approached a staff member and “spitted directly at her, but missed, the saliva flowing to her feet” before library staff called police. He reportedly left the library on foot while an employee made a call.

Court documents say officers found Garcia nearby and tried to take him into custody. Officers reportedly took him to the ground after Garcia “struggled with officers.” While he was lying on the ground, a sergeant approached him and asked for his name. Court documents say Garcia responded by spitting on the sergeant and “hitting her pants and jacket with his saliva.”

He reportedly refused to identify himself and continuously shouted racial slurs and other insults at officers during his arrest and transport to hospital for a pre-booking medical examination.

While sitting in the back of the patrol vehicle, Garcia allegedly “continued to hurl racial slurs and threaten the officer” and “while sitting in the back, he continued to intentionally spit on the vehicle and on the divider.”

An arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, November 27.