Arlington man pleads guilty to shooting at teens
Published 10:40 pm Friday, April 17, 2009
EVERETT — An Arlington man faces more than two years in prison for firing a 12-gauge shotgun at a two high school students parked on his land last summer.
The two teens were not hurt by the gun blast but told investigators they feared for their lives when they realized their only escape was blocked by a large semi-truck parked across the road, according to court documents.
Raymond Lane, 57, pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree assault and third-degree assault while armed with a gun. He remains free while awaiting sentencing on May 20.
As part of plea negotiations, prosecutors plan to recommend that Lane be sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison. He has no prior felony convictions.
Lane told investigators he didn’t intend to hurt the teens on Aug. 22, 2008, when he grabbed a shotgun from his home and fired at a 1999 Saab, according to court documents.
Vandals had recently damaged the baseball field on his land. He built the field for his sons. His oldest died a few years earlier at 26.
He wanted to scare the kids of his property.
The teens, 16 and 17, told police they parked on the property after a friend told them about the baseball field. They said they were in the back seat, drinking coffee and looking at the stars, court documents said. About 15 minutes later, they heard what they thought were fireworks.
Then the back window of the car shattered. The boy scrambled to the front seat to drive away from the unseen shooter. They heard two more shots fired at the car. They realized someone — they presumed the gunman — had parked a large semi-truck in the only road leading off the property, Snohomish County deputy prosecutor Craig Matheson wrote.
The boy drove to a nearby rental house on the same property and asked a stranger to call 911.
Lane told Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies he debated whether or not to call police but decided it would take too long for deputies to arrive.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463, hefley@heraldnet.com.
