Suspect allegedly took a shot at slowing down neighbor on dirt bike
Prosecutors charged David Leon Wagar, 62, with one count of felony criminal endangerment in Flathead County District Court following the alleged May 7 shooting on Piney Dell Trail.
The man atop the dirt bike told Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies he was riding from Piney Dell Trail to Market Road and back again when he spotted Wagar aiming a firearm at the road in front of him about 9:53 p.m., according to court documents. Wagar, on his porch at the time, allegedly fired twice and then threatened the victim.
Wagar allegedly later told investigators that he "put a couple of slugs in the hillside just to say, 'Hey man, slow down."
He described the victim as riding recklessly and kicking up dirt from the road, according to court documents. Wagar let investigators collect the firearm, a steel gray Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum, court documents said.
Deputies alleged Wagar talked with slurred speech and smelled of an alcoholic beverage. They also noted that there were several homes near Wagar's house, two of which were about 100 yards away.
Criminal endangerment is punishable by up to 10 years in Montana State Prison and a fine of $50,000.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Law roundup: Cyclists pedal dog complaints on social media
Jul. 31—Community members allegedly harassed a Whitefish resident on Facebook about an incident where cyclists participating in an event screamed at her dogs as her house happened to be along the route. Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a report of a brawl in Columbia Falls where a vehicle was ramming into things and people were throwing rocks at the vehicle. The person who called to report the fracas said 20 people were at the location, one person was injured — that they knew of — parties were separated and the person in the vehicle was "now stuck on the property" and several people were throwing rocks and yelling. A Kalispell resident called deputies alleging someone was playing ding-dong-ditch and hiding in their front yard. A lost load of railroad ties was blocking a westbound lane in Kalispell. A person working at a Lakeside house was reportedly bitten by a dog whose home was unknown. A drunk man allegedly crashed his e-bike on Sixth Street, which fell on top of him. He told someone who found him not to call 911, stood up and fell. They called the Columbia Falls Police Department anyway to check on his welfare. A woman reportedly threw a chair, stole a soda and undressed in a First Avenue East parking lot, then left in a two-door green sedan. An older gray Jeep Cherokee, reportedly swerving on U.S. 2, almost hit a pole on its way into a ditch. Roughly five customers reportedly got into an argument when a man was suspected of walking out of a store without paying for his groceries. Someone called the police when they thought it would get physical. A man talking in the background said customers were going to detain him and make a citizen's arrest. It turns out that the guy didn't steal anything, which was confirmed by the manager, the officer and his receipt. A kid reportedly pulled a knife on someone's son during a fight that started in a car and the concerned parent wanted an officer to go with him to the individual's house. A woman had questions for officers after her apartment manager purportedly told her she would need written permission to install a Ring brand camera placed on her door and a notice would have to be published in the newspaper. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Suspected outboard motor thief pleads not guilty to felony counts
Jul. 31—A man convicted in a shoplifting case last year is back in Flathead County District Court, accused of stealing an outboard motor from an Evergreen boat dealer in June. Dominic Austin Prichard, 32, pleaded not guilty to felony counts of theft and criminal mischief before Judge Amy Eddy on June 26. He is expected back in court for a pretrial conference Dec. 3. Prichard caught the attention of Flathead County Sheriff's Office deputies while walking along U.S. 2 with a pull cart about 2:13 a.m., June 1. Authorities were investigating a string of nighttime thefts in the area involving a suspect with a pull cart, according to court documents. After identifying Prichard, deputies learned he had an outstanding warrant and arrested him, court documents said. Placed inside the deputy's cruiser, Prichard allegedly consented to let them search the pull cart, which boasted a black backpack and an object obscured by a Montara boat cover. Pulling off the cover, the deputies found a black Mercury Pro Kicker motor, court documents said. The wires on the motor appeared cut. While Prichard, the outboard motor and the pull cart were taken to the Sheriff's Office in Kalispell, other deputies checked a boat dealer on U.S. 2 in Evergreen and found a hole cut in the company's fence, court documents said. Inside they spotted a boat missing a cover and a boat missing a motor. Using the serial number on the motor, the dealer later confirmed it was stolen from its lot, according to court documents. Authorities put the value of the motor at $3,500 and the damage done to it at $1,650. The boat cover was estimated at $500. Prichard was convicted on misdemeanor counts of assault and theft in August 2024 in a case where he was accused of threatening store security personnel with a knife while shoplifting. Though he initially pleaded not guilty, he later took a plea deal. He received a suspended sentence and a $100 fine at his Aug. 28, 2024 sentencing. News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@
Chicago Tribune
21-07-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Dundee felon charged with distributing child porn, possessing gun
A 52-year-old felon living in Dundee Township has been charged with owning and distributing child porn, according to a news release from the Kane County state's attorney's and sheriff's offices. Jason P. Vanderflute, of the 33W000 block of Richardson Drive, will be detained at the Kane County jail pending his trial on three counts of dissemination of child pornography, 10 counts of possession of child pornography and one count each of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon, all felony charges. Prosecutors allege that Vanderflute owned and shared multiple child porn videos between May 16 and July 8, the date of his arrest, the release said. Police conducted a search of him home on a warrant and also found he was allegedly had a Taurus .357 Magnum revolver and Winchester brand .357 caliber rounds, which he was prohibited from having as a felon, the release said. The investigation was conducted by the Kane County Child Exploitation Unit. A judge granted the state's request that Vanderflute be held in jail while his case is pending. His next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 20.
