Chehalis, WA – Following a tense seven-hour standoff involving local law enforcement and SWAT teams, two teenagers, identified as key suspects in a brutal assault case, were detained in Chehalis, escalating community concerns over violence in the area. The teenagers, Micah Elijah Nobach, 19, of Centralia, and Roberto Tomas Romero Bower, 17, of Chehalis, stand accused of first-degree assault with accomplice liability linked to a March 1 incident.
During a recent hearing at the Lewis County Superior Court, the pair faced charges as adults, given the severity of their alleged actions, which the documents detail as showing “deliberate cruelty to the victim.” The court maintained their bail at $1 million, reflecting the gravity of their accused crimes.
Judge Joely Yeager, who presided over the hearing, emphasized the serious threat to community safety the suspects posed not only by this assault but by their involvement in the high-stakes standoff. “This presents as one of the most significant threats to community safety I’ve seen in a while,” Yeager remarked, stressing the risk such events pose to the public.
The Chehalis Police Department reported that the initial response to a dispute involving a firearm on April 1 led officers to a residence where Bower was arrested on additional charges of second-degree assault with a firearm. Investigations at the scene further linked Nobach to the earlier violent attack that unfolded in downtown Chehalis.
Authorities described the March 1 assault as especially heinous with surveillance footage capturing the suspects engaging in extreme violence against a lone individual, who suffered extensive injuries including multiple lacerations, an orbital hemorrhage, broken teeth, and signs of strangulation. The victim required immediate medical attention at Capital Medical Center.
Adding complexity to the case, two additional defendants, Jamal George West, 19, and 16-year-old Aiden Riley Smith, are charged with participating in the assault. West has already entered a plea of not guilty, with his trial set for May 5, while Smith and another unnamed juvenile are being handled in juvenile court records, which are not open to public access.
Further complicating matters, during the standoff on April 1, another individual, Larisa Boyd, 19, also of Chehalis, was charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance. She allegedly misled police upon their arrival at the standoff scene, denying the presence of Nobach and Bower within the residence. This delay potentially intensified the situation, leading to deeper concerns about community safety and the effectiveness of initial police interventions.
Bower also faces unrelated charges stemming from the incident that precipitated the standoff, underscoring a pattern of alleged criminal behavior. His trial on these charges will add another layer to the proceedings.
As the community reels from these incidents, local officials and residents are calling for increased measures to curb violence and ensure public safety. The high-profile case has sparked discussions on juvenile crime, the application of adult charges to teen suspects, and the necessity for community interventions to prevent such violent outbreaks. In the meantime, all eyes will be on the upcoming hearings, as this small community grapples with the implications of these troubling events.