Police make arrest in alleged attack

SANDPOINT — A young Bonner County woman was arrested Tuesday for reportedly attacking a teenager at City Beach with a baseball bat on July 2, city officials announced on Tuesday.

Caitlyn Grace Haskins, 18, is charged with aggravated battery, a felony which carries a 15-year prison term upon conviction. She was being held at the Bonner County Jail on Tuesday and may make an initial appearance today in Bonner County Magistrate Court.

The alleged attack was reported to Sandpoint Police from Super 1 Foods on the evening of July 2, according to a news release issued by City Administrator Jennifer Stapleton. The alleged victim told police she had a verbal altercation with Haskins and an unidentified 17-year-old girl which escalated into a physical assault. The alleged victim said the female juvenile struck her several times and Haskins struck her in the head with what appeared to be a bat.

Bonner County EMS responded to the call and police opened an investigation, which resulted in two witnesses corroborating the victim’s account of the incident. Officers attempted to locate the suspects, but they fled the scene, the news release said.

Officers, however, arranged for interviews over the Independence Day holiday and completed their investigation on Sunday and forwarded their findings to the Bonner County Prosecutor’s Office.

Police requested and received an arrest warrant alleging aggravated battery.

Bonner County Prosecutor Louis Marshall said the unidentified minor has been cited and awaits a court hearing. Stapleton said the teen is charged with misdemeanor battery.

News of the incident spilled over to social media, where the alleged victim’s mother said her daughter was set to undergo facial reconstruction surgery after suffering a broken eye socket, shattered cheek bone and a caved-in sinus cavity. The woman said her daughter has been receiving threatening text messages from people in Haskins’ social circle.

The woman urged parents on Facebook to go through their child’s phones to determine if they are being bullied.

“One thing I will say is that our community members are a great support system! My daughter had surgery this morning and is currently at home recovering from facial reconstruction,” the woman said in a post to Facebook.

Police Chief Corey Coon said in the news release that he appreciate the public’s patience and support while the investigation was underway.

“This type of crime is not common in our community and certainly doesn’t define who we are,” Coon said.

Haskins, meanwhile, appeared to be unfazed by the police investigation.

“Still not in jail. Still haven’t gotten a call from the cops. JUST CHILLIN,” she said in a post to Facebook.

The post includedboth shrugging and laughing-crying emojis.

“I’m going on with life like nothing happened cause NOTHING HAPPENED,” Haskins wrote.

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.