Bail set at $250,000 for Olympia man facing domestic violence charges

A Thurston County Superior Court judge set bail at $250,000 Tuesday for an Olympia man facing several charges of domestic violence and violating a no-contact order, including hiding in the back of his ex-girlfriend’s car.

Judge Mary Sue Wilson also revoked Richard F. Sanborn’s bail in a related case involving the same woman and said he could be held without bail pending a hearing on the related matter.

Meanwhile, Sanborn, 23, of Olympia, made a preliminary appearance on the new charges Tuesday before Judge Wilson after Lacey police arrested him Monday afternoon.

Charging documents give the following account:

The ex-girlfriend, who apparently is 18 weeks pregnant with Sanborn’s child, told police that she saw Sanborn standing outside her home at 3 a.m. Monday. A no-contact order was already in effect, so she was about to call law enforcement when she noticed he was no longer standing where she first saw him. She assumed he had left.

Later the same morning, the ex-girlfriend drove a male friend back to the Regal Cinemas in Lacey where they had left his car, after seeing a movie and going to dinner. She dropped him off, then called Sanborn’s stepfather to tell him that his stepson had been outside her residence at 3 a.m.

That’s when Sanborn emerged from the back seat of her vehicle.

“She heard a noise from behind her and observed Sanborn coming over her back seat from the third row,” the charging documents read.

After demanding to see her phone and making threats, Sanborn ordered her to drive him to a 7-Eleven store in Tumwater, then ordered her to drive him home. During the drive, he threatened to kill her and her male friend. He also grabbed her neck, and they fought over the steering wheel of her car, swerving across several lanes near a Lacey Walmart.

The woman was able to get out of the car and began running toward the Walmart, screaming and waving her arms. People at the store came to her aid.

Sanborn ran off and was arrested about 12:30 p.m. Monday in the area of Marvin Road Northeast and Martin Way East.

Sanborn’s arraignment was set for Jan. 5. He is set to make a court appearance on the related case Jan. 4.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 9:00 PM with the headline "Bail set at $250,000 for Olympia man facing domestic violence charges."