Angry Sohappy charged with burglary, assault after busting into man’s home

The King County Prosecutor on Jan. 8 has charged James Sohappy, 24, with first-degree burglary and with third-degree assault of a police officer

Auburn Police say that after Muckleshoot Casino security ousted a boozy James Sohappy from the casino on Jan. 5, he burst into a man’s home near the casino, ran amok, assaulted the man and later punched a police officer.

The King County Prosecutor on Jan. 8 charged the Auburn man, 24, with first-degree burglary and with third-degree assault of a police officer.

Sohappy was arraigned Jan. 21 and pleaded not guilty. A case setting hearing is Feb. 3 at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. In the meantime, Sohappy continues to cool his heels in King County jail on $25,000 bail.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Here is what happened, according to the Auburn Police Department’s Certification for Determination of Probable Cause.

At about 11 p.m. on Jan. 5, Muckleshoot Casino security asked a severely-inebriated Sohappy to leave. According to the police account, Sohappy then made his way on foot to the the Green Tree Condos northeast of the casino and hopped the fence to get in.

Shortly afterward, according to the police account, a 74-year-old resident of the Green Tree Condos heard an unknown male causing a ruckus outside of a neighbor’s apartment. The unknown male then pounded and kicked at the resident’s own front door, demanding to be let in. The resident told the male to leave and advised him that he had the wrong place. Finally, convinced that the guy outside was going to get in anyway, the resident opened the door and pepper sprayed him in the face to drive him back.

According to the police account, Sohappy burst in and ran around like a wildman, “damaging the walls and doors and puking.”

The unhappy resident later told police that Sohappy had assaulted him in some way when he was in the apartment, and that he, the resident, had hit Sohappy with a fire poker to incapacitate him.

Police received the resident’s call for help at 11:45 p.m.

In the meantime, Sohappy returned to the casino’s garage where a group of police officers was waiting for him. He tried to run away and assaulted one of the officers but was captured.

According to the police account, the elderly resident later positively identified Sohappy as the man who had burst into his apartment.

Sohappy’s criminal history includes convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, theft and possession of marijuana.