Hearing pending in felony domestic

SANDPOINT - A Priest River man accused of brutally attacking his wife in front of their kids is awaiting arraignment in 1st District Court.

Gary Lee Warren waived his right to a preliminary hearing earlier this month and was bound over on felony charges of attempted strangulation and domestic battery in the presence of children. He scheduled to enter a plea to the charges on March 17.

Warren, 39, is charged with picking up the woman by her throat, throwing her against a counter, hitting and kicking her, according to the criminal complaint. An array of photographs attached to the complaint showed bruising to her neck, abrasions to her face and a black left eye.

Warren is further accused of battering the woman in front of their three children, who ranged in age from 5 years old to 14.

The incident happened on Feb. 24 in the 2500 block of Old Priest River Road, dispatch records indicate.

Warren was ordered held on $75,000 bail, but the sum was reduced to $20,000 when he waived his preliminary hearing. Bonner County Deputy Prosecutor Valerie Fenton and Warren's defense counsel, Sandpoint attorney Jeremy Featherston, filed a joint motion indicating the defendant was not a flight risk due to his business ties to the area and his longtime residence in Bonner County, court records show.