Man accused of assault after meeting victim via cell phone app, Thurston Sheriff says

A 35-year-old man was arrested Tuesday night near Long Lake on suspicion of second-degree assault after he allegedly tried to strangle another man he had met on a cell phone app.

That’s according to Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders, who shared details of the arrest on social media, and Thurston County Superior Court records.

About 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, a deputy was dispatched to Carson Lane Southeast, which is near Carpenter Road Southeast, after a report about an attempted strangulation.

The deputy met the victim, who explained that a man he had met on a cell phone app six months ago, had shown up at his residence.

The suspect asked the man if he could give him a lift to an address on Mill Court Southeast. The victim agreed, and once at the Mill Court Southeast address, the suspect asked him to wait in the car while he went inside.

And then things took a turn for the worse, according to court records.

“At this point, (the suspect) reached over and grabbed (the victim) by the throat and began strangling him,” the court records read. “(The victim) stated that he attempted to get him off his throat, but (the suspect) began climbing over into the driver’s seat and hitting him in the chest as he wrapped his arms around his head in an attempt to get (the victim) in a choke hold.”

The victim finally was able to get the car door open and throw the suspect out of the car, according to court records.

“He stated he was so scared that he drove 90 mph to get away from the suspect,” the records read.

Meanwhile, Thurston County dispatchers received another call about the suspect, but this time he was in the 7400 block of 20th Avenue Southeast, near Long Lake.

“A homeowner called 911 to report an unknown male who appeared under the influence of drugs hiding in the bushes in their back yard,” Sheriff Sanders said in his social media post.

This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 5:00 AM.