Man fails two jail escapes, kidnapping

EPHRATA - A Moses Lake man was sentenced for kidnapping a man

from his motel room and trying to escape from jail twice before his

trial.

Juries in two cases convicted Darrell F. Smith, 40, of robbery in

the first degree, unlawful imprisonment, assault in the second

degree, possession of methamphetamine, harassment, theft in the

second degree, trespassing in the first degree, theft of a motor

vehicle and escape in the second degree.

He pleaded guilty in a third case to malicious mischief in the

second degree and attempted escape in the second degree.

EPHRATA - A Moses Lake man was sentenced for kidnapping a man from his motel room and trying to escape from jail twice before his trial.

Juries in two cases convicted Darrell F. Smith, 40, of robbery in the first degree, unlawful imprisonment, assault in the second degree, possession of methamphetamine, harassment, theft in the second degree, trespassing in the first degree, theft of a motor vehicle and escape in the second degree.

He pleaded guilty in a third case to malicious mischief in the second degree and attempted escape in the second degree.

Smith has prior convictions for theft in the second degree, a controlled substance violation, kidnapping in the first degree, burglary in the first degree and robbery in the first degree. Combined with his present felonies, he faced a sentencing range of 10 years and nine months to 14 years and three months.

Grant County Superior Court Judge Evan Sperline sentenced Smith to the maximum end of the range, adding 990 days for the gross misdemeanors.

"The court imposed 17 years of total confinement," Prosecutor Angus Lee stated. "I hope that gives Mr. Smith enough time to reflect on his actions and change his ways."

Smith's string of crimes started Feb. 26, 2010, when he broke into a man's Moses Lake motel room, wearing a ski mask, while the man was eating dinner. Smith yelled at the victim to get off the phone, saying he would kill the victim if he called for help, according to a Moses Lake police report. He bound the victims wrists with Zip Ties, before telling a woman staying with the victim to get into the bathroom, where he bound and gagged her.

Smith showed him a knife. He began yelling he wanted money because the man was "sleeping with his wife," according to the police report. After finding a receipt for a money order, Smith took the victim's debit card, asking him how much money was available. The victim said he could only take out $300 at a time from the ATM, but could conduct more purchases. Smith took the victim and the woman to Walmart.

He told the woman to buy an iPod and a phone card with the debit card.

After she returned with the items, they drove to the Ephrata Walmart, where Smith left them in the vehicle for a couple of hours, according to the police report. The victim said he was afraid to leave because Smith knew where he lived and said he would hunt him down and kill him.

Smith came back to the vehicle, telling the others to meet him inside, where Smith put a laptop inside of a doghouse box, and told them to get back to the car and be prepared to flee, according to the police report.

The three people went back to the victim's hotel.

The victim started to leave for work, when Smith asked where he was going. The man said if he didn't leave for work people would be looking for him, according to the police report.

Police discovered Smith staying at the motel with the female victim, and found the Walmart receipt for the iPod and phone card in his pants pocket. Smith told police he was trying to raise money to get his girlfriend's car out of impound.

A couple days after being arrested, Smith escaped from the custody of the Grant County Jail. Stealing a wheat truck from the Odessa Grange, he started driving towards Moses Lake, according to an Ephrata police report.

Police set out spike strips on state Route 17, after catching up to Smith. He avoided them, but left the highway, crashing the truck into Moses Lake, according to a Grant County sheriff's report.

Roughly two months later, deputies in the Grant County Jail discovered Smith covered with concrete dust and breathing hard, according to a Grant County sheriff's report. Smith eventually revealed a hole dug in the ceiling as an escape route.