Dispute over baby leads to personal injury lawsuit against Seattle man | Washington

A Seattle man who was arrested for attempting to strangle his wife while the two fought over their three-month-old baby during an outing at Gold Creek Pond in July pleaded not guilty to the domestic violence charge in Kittitas County Superior Court earlier this week.

Uriel Filemon-Olvera, 26, was arrested on July 14 on charges of second-degree assault and violating a restraining order.

On Monday, Filemon-Olvera was arraigned during a brief hearing. Judge L. Candace Hooper said his trial will begin on October 29.

During the arraignment, Assistant District Attorney Zachary Williams said Filemon-Olvera attempted to contact the alleged victim in the case.

“It's not proven enough for me to file a motion to revoke the release. If we can, that would be the state's plan,” Williams said.

Williams then said he wanted to reprimand the defendant for his behavior.

“Yes,” Hooper agreed.

“Mr. Olvera, if you contact the people in this case – especially the victim in this case – we will simply put you in jail. You will not be free. Do you understand that?” Hooper asked the defendant.

“You have to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” the judge asked after a pause.

“Yes,” replied Filemon-Olvera.

“All right. Then don't do it,” Hooper said.

Filemon-Olvera was taken into custody after sheriff's deputies were called to the Gold Creek Pond Trailhead northeast of Hyak because someone called 911 to report an assault between a man and a woman who had a small baby with them, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The couple had been drinking at Gold Creek Pond when they began arguing. According to court documents, the woman said Filemon-Olvera was upset “and would not calm down.”

She said he grabbed her three-month-old son and went back to her car. After picking up the rest of her belongings and catching up to him, the woman tried to save the child, but Filemon-Olvera grabbed her by the throat and choked her until she couldn't breathe.

The woman said she scratched his arm to escape and then ran until she met a passing couple and asked them to call 911.

She also told officers that it was not the first time they had gotten physical and that he had strangled her before, according to a sheriff's office case report. The woman also said that Filemon-Olvera was recently arrested by Seattle police for groping her.

The woman was treated by paramedics from the Snoqualmie Pass Fire Department and EMS. Injuries, including bruising, were visible on her neck.

Filemon-Olvera told officers they had an argument about swimming in Gold Creek Pond, and he grabbed her baby and returned to her car because of the argument. He said he was attacked by his wife as he held the baby and tried to defend himself. Filemon-Olvera also denied strangling her.

Officers learned that there was a domestic violence restraining order approved by the Seattle Municipal Court that required Filemon-Olvera to stay 1,000 feet away from his wife until April 27, 2029, although he was allowed to send her electronic messages regarding child care issues.

Filemon-Olvera was arrested for violating the restraining order and assault.

According to court documents, the person who reported the incident to 911 sent police a phone video of the incident after being taken to jail.

The short video shows the woman putting Filemon-Olvera in a headlock and taking him to the ground while trying to reach their baby. It also shows Filemon-Olvera defending himself and pushing her away while holding the baby in his right arm.

According to a case report, the video showed only part of the incident, but showed the wife as a “willing participant” in the fight and showed her attacking Filemon-Olvera.