A downtown Wenatchee argument over money turned violent Sunday, leaving two people with machete wounds and a 44-year-old man facing felony assault charges, according to law enforcement.
Deputies with the Chelan County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a stabbing in the 200 block of W. Peters Street, where they found two people with arm and shoulder injuries. Investigators say they later traced the suspect to a camper parked near an elementary school, arrested him, and booked him into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on two counts of second-degree assault.
According to KIRO 7, deputies say the confrontation started as a verbal dispute over money before escalating. One victim was left with injuries to the left arm and shoulder, while the other suffered a wound to the right arm. Deputies reported spotting a machete on the passenger-side floorboard of the suspect’s vehicle during the arrest. The vehicle was impounded while they sought a search warrant, and investigators say that once the warrant was executed, they recovered the weapon believed to have been used in the assault.
Charges and what they mean
The suspect is being held on two counts of second-degree assault under Washington law. Assault in the second degree covers assault with a deadly weapon and is generally classified as a class B felony, carrying a potential sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to RCW 9A.36.021. Any final punishment will hinge on how prosecutors choose to charge the case and on the court’s findings as it moves through the system.
How deputies say the arrest unfolded
KIRO 7 reports that after responding to the W. Peters Street scene, deputies tracked the suspect to a camper parked near a nearby elementary school. There, they took the 44-year-old into custody. Deputies say the machete was visible on the passenger-side floorboard, which led them to impound the vehicle, secure a judge-approved search warrant, and ultimately seize the weapon as evidence before booking the man into the Chelan County Regional Justice Center on the two assault counts.
Regional context
Knife and machete assaults have surfaced elsewhere in the Inland Northwest in recent weeks. In late April, a machete stabbing in Spokane injured two men, according to The Spokesman-Review. Incidents like these highlight how quickly a seemingly routine argument can escalate into serious, felony-level violence.
Authorities say the Wenatchee suspect remains in custody at the Chelan County Regional Justice Center while the case proceeds. Investigators report that the suspected weapon has been recovered and that the criminal investigation is still active.
