Bail set at $5,000 for Thurston County firefighter involved in fight

Bail was set at $5,000 Monday for Lance D. Casto, a Southeast Thurston County firefighter who was arrested on suspicion of second-degree assault in Bucoda Friday night.

The Thurston County prosecutor had argued that bail be set at $10,000 because of the severity of the victim’s injuries, which they said will require plastic surgery. Angela Colaiuta, the public defender, asked that Casto be released on his own recognizance because he has minimal criminal history.

Oct. 9 was the date set for Casto’s arraignment.

Casto was booked into jail early Saturday. Southeast Thurston Fire Chief Mark King said Monday that Casto, a career firefighter with 10 years’ experience, was immediately place on paid administrative leave.

According to Lt. Tim Rudloff of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Casto, a friend and the friend’s wife met for drinks at Joe’s Tavern in Bucoda Friday night. After they left the tavern, deputies say there was more drinking as the group looked at “hunting spaces” together and visited another friend’s house.

After they left the house and were driving again, Casto allegedly made a suggestive remark to the friend’s wife that the friend found offensive.

Deputies said Casto later pulled the man out of a truck and began to beat him. The victim suffered a broken nose, four broken teeth, a fractured cheekbone, a swollen split lip and cuts to his face and head.

Casto was was taken into custody without incident, Rudloff said.

This is not the first time that Casto has run afoul of the law. In December 2014, the firefighter was accused of assaulting a man with a tire iron. Those charges were later dropped, according to King.

This story was originally published September 24, 2018 at 12:49 PM.