EVERETT — A Snohomish man accused of tackling his wife and breaking her leg in multiple places now is charged with felony assault.
Prosecutors allege that after busting his wife’s leg Shaun Horn failed to call 911 or to let the injured woman call for help. The woman, 51, was on the ground for nine hours. It took Horn three days to finally summon help for his wife, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Paul Stern wrote in court papers.
Stern charged Horn with second-degree domestic violence assault and criminal mistreatment. The Snohomish man, 58, pleaded not guilty to the charges earlier this week. A judge set bail at $100,000. Horn is prohibited from contacting his wife.
Sheriff’s deputies found the woman on Feb. 21 at the couple’s rural home. She was lying on the couch with her leg propped up. Deputies noticed an obvious and serious injury to the leg.
“Help. He wouldn’t let me call. I need help,” the woman was reported saying to deputies.
She told deputies that Horn punched her in the face numerous times during an argument three days earlier. He allegedly tackled the woman “like a linebacker,” court papers said.
She heard a pop and knew that her leg was broken. Horn allegedly continued to punch the woman.
She was unable to walk and Horn reportedly declined to assist her. She was on the floor for hours.
Horn eventually lifted his wife to the couch, but he reportedly refused to call 911 or to let her use her cellphone.
The woman said Horn did bring her water, Stern wrote in court papers.
Once the woman was rescued, she was moved to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle because of the severity of her injuries.
She later was transferred to a convalescent facility, unable to walk. Doctors have told her she’ll need to be in the facility for months, Stern wrote.
Horn doesn’t have any prior felony convictions. He has a drunken driving conviction from 2008 and other driving misdemeanors dating back to the early 1990s.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com
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