A 10-year Level 2 sex offender from Richland was booked into the Umatilla County Jail initially after a May 29th sexual assault.
57-Year-Old Suspect Tries Fleeing Into Oregon
June 4, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office released information about the May 29th incident, where the suspect allegedly sexually assaulted a woman near Hover Park.
The park, located in the remote southeastern corner of Benton County, was where Deputies were called to after 3:30 AM that day, Friday.
The BCSO reported Timonthy L. Hounshell, who is said to be living in Richland, was pursued after Deputies saw his car leaving the area at high speed. Authorities didn’t say what led up to the woman being assaulted, she’d been able to escape and called 9-1-1.
The Suspect Refused to Pull Over
He got on SR 397 and then I-82 and fled toward Oregon. At the state line, Umatilla County Deputies and Oregon State Police were able to ‘disable’ his car, and he was arrested without incident.
Hounshell is facing multiple charges related to the sexual assault as well as trying to flee Officers. Court records show he had to register as an offender stemming from a previous sexual crime when he was convicted of 2nd Degree Rape in 2013. And in 2022, he was jailed for failing to register as a sex offender.
He Will Be Brought Back to Face Benton County Charges
He will be, if he has not already been, extradited to Benton County to face multiple felonies. The rape charges could be enhanced because he reportedly threatened he had a deadly weapon–according to the BCSO:
“RCW 9A.44.040 – Rape in the First Degree (with notice of a deadly weapon allegation)”
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