Court sets bail for man accused of kicking dog then stabbing owner in Tenino
An Olympia man accused of stabbing a man in Tenino is being held in Thurston County jail in lieu of $100,000 bail.
Tenino police arrested Cody Austen Galaviz, 23, on Saturday on suspicion of first-degree assault. A Thurston County Superior Court Commissioner found probable cause for the crime and set the bail amount during Galaviz’s preliminary appearance on Monday.
In doing so, Commissioner Nate Kortokrax cited concerns Galaviz may commit a violent crime or interfere with the case if he were to be released.
A probable cause statement issued by a prosecutor includes a Tenino police officer’s account of the investigation.
At about 5 p.m. Saturday, the statement says, the officer responded to a call about a stabbing at Heritage Baptist Church on Sussex Avenue East.
The call described a white man, about 6 feet tall with a slender build and wearing black clothing, as the alleged assailant, according to the statement. The caller also indicated the man had fled east toward East Central Avenue on a motorized scooter.
When the officer arrived on scene, the statement says he found the victim bleeding from his chest and immediately rendered aid. The officer estimated the wound was about an inch in length.
Deputies with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office responded to assist and look for the person who fled the scene, according to the statement.
Medics transported the wounded man to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, per the statement, and the officer remained at the scene to investigate further.
At this point, the officer suspected the man may have fled through some trails and decided to check near the Yelm-Tenino Trail. There, the statement says, he spotted a man exiting the woods who matched the description he had received earlier.
The officer detained the man, who he identified as Galaviz, per the statement. However, Galaviz reportedly claimed he was merely picking berries before work.
With no video footage or additional witnesses to go by, the statement says the officer decided to share a photo of the Galaviz with the wounded man.
The wounded man identified Galaviz as the man who had assaulted him earlier and the officer arrested Galaviz on the spot, according to the statement.
Though deputies helped to search the area, the statement says they could not find the weapon used in the alleged stabbing. However, police did find what they believed to be the Galaviz’s motorized scooter and secured it as evidence, per the statement.
After the arrest, the officer visited the wounded man at the hospital to get a taped statement. The man was stable but required surgery, according to the statement.
He reportedly told the officer that Galaviz stabbed him in the chest after he confronted him about kicking his dog outside the church.
The man said he did not know Galaviz personally but recalled seeing him at the church about a month or two ago, according to the statement.
Galaviz is due back in court on Oct. 12 for his arraignment.
This story was originally published September 29, 2021 at 11:54 AM.
