Carlsborg man held, awaits assault charges

Published 11:49 am Wednesday, September 24, 2014

A Carlsborg man, Deeon Emilio Gonzales, 20, is being held in Clallam County Jail on charge of aggravated first-degree assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend multiple times.

He’ll make his plea at his arraignment at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3, in Clallam County Superior Court.

The Clallam County Sheriff’s Office reports Gonzales allegedly pre-meditated to kill Britni Gallauher, 18, also of Carlsborg, with a knife on Sept. 20.

In a statement Gallauher gave to Deputy Brian Knutson, she and Gonzales had been dating for five years and broke up about one month ago but share a 1½-year-old daughter, court documents state.

On Saturday, the former couple had been texting one another and Gallauher asked to retrieve their daughter around 4:20 p.m. from Gonzales’ home about one mile up Carlsborg Road from U.S. Highway 101, when they began to argue via text message, court documents state.

Gallauher said to authorities she was told to meet him “heads up,” which she indicated meant he wanted to fight.

Later she walked from her home a block away on Streit Road to Gonzales’ home where he asked her to wait outside.

Court documents state Gallauher said she heard Gonzales’ mother Melissa Ellis tell him not to do anything stupid and she came out to ask her to leave.

Gonzales stepped outside with their daughter in his arms and something behind his back, Gallauher told Knutson, and he brought the girl to Gallauher before allegedly stabbing her five times — three times in the back, near the left shoulder and the stomach.

Sheriff’s deputies report Gallauher fell on her back while holding the girl and Gonzales allegedly continued to stab her.

Witnesses told Knutson they saw Gonzales take his daughter, return her to his house and go toward the Olympic Discovery Trail.

Gallauher was transported to Olympic Memorial Hospital and was listed in stable condition and monitored for a slightly punctured lung. She was not in the hospital as of Tuesday.

Detective Sgt. John Keegan said the girl was uninjured during the incident.

Sheriff deputies, Sequim Police Department and the United States Border Patrol searched for Gonzales for several hours on Saturday.

Keegan said Gonzales attempted to contact an off-duty detective to turn himself in but was unable to reach him, so he turned himself in to the sheriff’s office around 11:45 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 21.

Judge Erik Rohrer set Gonzales’ bail at $100,000 on Sept. 22 with no contact allowed with Gallauher or their daughter.

If convicted in trial, Gonzales faces two years in prison, as a first-time adult offender, or up to life in prison without parole.

Court documents state Gonzales has four felony convictions as a minor, including assault in the third degree after he attacked his brother with a knife.