Man hits car

Leonard Ronnie Lahaye, Jr. was seen in Judge Deborah “Kim” Christopher’s Court on March 30 for an arraignment on charges of felony criminal endangerment.

Lahaye’s charge stems from a Nov. 15, 2019, Tribal Law Enforcement arrest. An officer received a call from a Lake County resident reporting that two men, one without a shirt, had run out in front of her vehicle in Arlee. A law enforcement officer went to the scene and observed Lahaye, shirtless, with a stick in his hand standing next to a vehicle in the southbound lane of Hwy. 93 in Arlee; the speed limit on that section of road is 45 miles per hour. Lahaye left the highway, walked to a light pole and started hitting the light pole with the stick.

When a vehicle approached in the northbound lane. Lahaye sprinted toward the vehicle with his stick raised and hit the driver’s side door with his body. The stick he’d been holding was thrown approximately 20 feet in the air.

The driver of the vehicle indicated he had not seen Lahaye before being run into by him and told officers he’d been going about 45 mph, and his rearview mirror had been broken off when Lahaye ran into the vehicle.

Lahaye was taken into custody, but when emergency medical personnel were examining him, they asked that his handcuffs be removed. The cuffs were taken off, and shortly afterwards, Lahaye ran away towards the highway. He had to be tazed to prevent him from returning to the roadway.

Lahaye’s case first appeared on Judge Christopher’s docket on Feb. 3, 2023.

Court petitioned to revoke deferred sentences

Judge Christopher also saw Tina Marie Trombley on March 30 when a hearing to revoke Trombley’s deferred sentences was continued until April 13.

Trombley’s deferred sentences are for two felonies, forgery and bail jumping. Trombley was found guilty by the court on Feb. 14, 2019, and both the three-year sentence for forgery and the one-year sentence for bail jumping were deferred. She was placed under the supervision of the Department of Corrections, and subject to all rules and regulations of Adult Probation and Parole.

Adult Probation and Parole reported a violation on May 17, 2022, and Trombley’s admitted violations included illegal drug use. She was sanctioned to 90 days of urine analysis, three times per week. When she missed 32 days, she was terminated from the program on July 29, 2022.

Probation reported Trembly had a baby on June 8, 2022, and the child was three weeks overdue. Her healthcare provider was deeply concerned about the baby and Trombley’s health.

DPHHS, Trombley’s health care provider, the probation office and Trombley met, but she refused to go to the hospital. Finally she went to the hospital but during the delivery, it appeared Trombley had taken something which caused her heart rate to drop to dangerous levels. The baby, who tested positive for illegal drugs, was born and immediately removed from her custody.

Trombley failed to provide urine samples well after the baby’s birth. During her hospital stay for the delivery, officers searched her room and found methamphetamine, Clonazepam, and suboxone strips in Trombley’s purse and a methamphetamine kit containing syringes and a baggie of substance in the room itself.

She was charged with three counts of Criminal Possession of Dangerous Drugs, felonies.

On July 25, 2022, Trembly was booked into the Cascade County Detention Center on warrants and a Clonazepam pill was located in her clothing. She was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of Dangerous Drugs, a felony.

Adult Probation and Parole noted Trombley failed to report to her probation office on Aug. 2, Aug. 8 and Aug. 18, 2022. She was evicted from her residence in Great Falls on Dec. 14 and didn’t notify her probation officer.

She failed to provide a urine sample when contacted by the Cascade County Detention Center for one on Dec. 21, and also failed to find and maintain employment.

A petition to revoke her deferred sentences was presented to the Court on Jan. 5.

Alleged theft case heads for jury trial

Sheila Lynn Johnsen appeared before Judge Christopher via Zoom last Thursday and pleaded not guilty to theft of property exceeding $5,000 in value, a felony. An omnibus hearing will be held July 20, with a jury trial commencing Sept. 25.

Court records indicate that on Feb. 7 at about 8:37 p.m., law enforcement received a report concerning a female on Main Street and 3rd Ave. SW in Ronan. An officer found the female and identified her as Sheila Lynn Johnsen, who said she was meeting friends at the Second Chance Bar in Ronan. Her speech was slurred, and she smelled of an alcoholic beverage. The office followed Johnsen to the Second Chance to make sure she made it.

At about 9:09 p.m. law enforcement received a report that a 2013 Enclave, worth more than $5,000, had been stolen from Main Street, across from the Second Chance. The owner indicated he left the vehicle running while he went inside.

Then a resident on Mink Lane in Ronan called to report a vehicle in their driveway with its flashers on. Officers responded and found the Enclave in a field, footprints around the drivers side of the vehicle, and Johnsen in the same field. Keys to a vehicle belonging to Johnsen were found on the floor by the driver’s seat of the Enclave.

When questioned, Johnsen claimed a girl had driven her to the field. She did not remember her encounter with the law enforcement officer earlier in the evening and was confused about how she came to be the field. She admitted she had consumed several alcoholic beverages earlier that evening.