Local man arrested on battery, arson charges

PRIEST RIVER — A Bonner County man has been arrested on counts of first-degree arson, attempted strangulation, and domestic battery after deputies allege he hit his girlfriend and lit her trailer on fire while she was inside.

Bonner County Sheriff’s deputies responded to Bonner General Health after receiving calls of arson to an occupied dwelling. Upon speaking with the alleged victim, she allegedly informed deputies that she had previously dated Joseph A. Lambert but the two had broken up before he got arrested and spent time in jail for a prior charge.

When Lambert was released, he allegedly ended up staying with the victim in her trailer. After roughly a week, the alleged victim told deputies she informed Lambert she was leaving to clear her head, which Lambert was initially okay with, according to court records. However, when the alleged victim tried to leave, Lambert would not allow her to go.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Lambert threatened self harm if the alleged victim left. 

“[The alleged victim] said [Lambert] then punched her in the face with a closed fist approximately three times on the right side of her face and proceeded to grab her by the throat and cover her face with his other hand, threatening to kill her,” a deputy wrote in the probable cause affidavit.

Deputies noted the alleged victim had red markings on both her face and neck that corroborated her story.

After allegedly attempting to strangle her, the probable cause affidavit contended that Lambert began to smoke meth, and the alleged victim smoked with him in fear he would become more agitated if she refused. 

For the past week, court records allege that Lambert threatened to kill everyone the alleged victim loved — or himself — if she tried to leave him, and also allegedly spoke about lighting loved one’s houses on fire. In addition, the alleged victim told deputies Lambert had also allegedly threatened to kill any law enforcement officers who tried to stop him.

Court records contend that after hitting the alleged victim in the face and smoking, he allegedly grabbed a can of lighter fluid and a can of chrome shiner and poured them on the ground on the inside of the trailer. Lambert then allegedly lit the fluids with a torch lighter while the alleged victim was still inside and disappeared.

The alleged victim’s mother also told police Lambert had been staying in the trailer, but allegedly could not be found following the start of the fire.

Deputies wrote in the probable cause affidavit that the trailer was fully engulfed in flames upon law enforcement’s arrival and was deemed a total loss.

Lambert is being charged with one count of first-degree arson, one count of attempted strangulation, and one count of domestic battery. His bail is set at $200,000 and an arraignment will be held June 25. An arraignment is a formal reading of the criminal charges in the presence of the defendant to inform them of what they are being charged with. The accused may be expected to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty during an arraignment.