HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The preliminary hearing for a 34-year-old man arrested after two domestic incidents, one where he held police at bay for nearly six hours is in recess for the second time after the victim during questioning by the state indicated she wanted a lawyer worrying that any statements made in the second case could get her arrested.
The victim testified in the first case against Charles Mendenhall III, which occurred on Christmas Eve that she woke up around 6 a.m. and the defendant wasn’t home, so she called him and he arrived a short time later and says he was either on drugs or was intoxicated. It was then that the two got into an argument with Mendenhall alleging that she had cheated on him.
The argument escalated to the point that she asked the two kids in the home to leave. That was about the time when he was allegedly holding a gun to her head. However, the state had to repeatedly show video of her interview with police detective Dean Harcrow to get her to answer the states question as to what actually happened.
But, when it came to second incident on Jan.10, she said that she woke up to him breaking a window in his own home. But, during the questioning by the state, she then stated she would probably need an attorney meaning she might implicate herself in a crime. Judge Joe McCarville then assigned Wichita Attorney Steve Osburn to represent her and dismissed her from the stand.
The state did finish with other witnesses, however after that they went into recess a second time to allow for the victim to visit with her attorney before again taking the stand.
Mendenhall is charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal discharge of a firearm, criminal threat and two counts of aggravated endangerment of a child in the Christmas Eve incident. In the case from Jan. 10, he’s charged with aggravated battery, aggravated burglary, interference with law enforcement, violation of a protection from abuse order, criminal restraint and battery of Hutchinson Police Officer Josh Long.
Testimony is scheduled to resume on Feb 17, according to Defense Attorney John Henderson.