Bail set at $400K for one of 2 suspects in horrific case of imprisonment, torture



BREMERTON, Wash. -- What police say two victims went through is unimaginable. One of them, a vulnerable adult, was beaten so badly that his skull, face and spine were fractured, his ribs broken and his body burned with a blow torch.

All of it, police say, in an effort to get a hold of his money, cell phone, and food stamps.

Kitsap County sheriff`s deputies were called to an East Bremerton neighborhood on Friday after a pastor at a church found a severely injured man in the parking lot. He`d been beaten so badly his eyes were nearly swollen shut.

The victim told police he was able escape from a nearby house after one of his captors passed out from using methamphetamine. He said another victim, a 37-year-old man with a neurological disorder, was still being held at the home.

Detectives say that victim was tortured with tools, tree branches, a rubber house, and a blow torch, and was even threatened with sexual assault.

The primary suspect in the case, a 43-year-old man, did not appear in court Monday because he`s being evaluated for injuries deputies say he suffered while carrying out the attacks. His initial bail was set at $1 million.

The second suspect, a 29-year-old transient, did appear in court Monday. He`s facing charges of assault and robbery as an accomplice to the crime. His bail has been set at $400,000.

'Well this is one of those situations that obviously would rise to the level of being horrific. We`re talking about a systemic situation here involving abuse of adults by somebody who is perpetuating this for whatever reason," sheriff's deputy Scott Wilson said.

Both of the suspects face up to life in prison if convicted. Their alleged crimes carry the aggravating factor of deliberate cruelty toward a vulnerable adult.

The sheriff`s office also says it is looking into the possibility that there may have been other victims.