Two people accused of bear macing a woman and taking her puppies have been charged with first-degree robbery in Thurston County.
The alleged robbery occurred June 26 at an encampment on Martin Way East, in an area commonly referred to as the Jungle.
Olympia officers responded to a call from a mother who reported two people had bear maced her daughter, who lived in the Jungle, and taken three of her puppies. Officers arrested the suspects and recovered the puppies later that day at a residence near the Olympia Regional Airport, according to court records.
The Olympia Police Department shared an image of the puppies and announced the arrests in a Wednesday Facebook post.
Timothy Eric Matson, 34, and Cristina Joy Blacketer, 20, attended their preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on June 27.
Judge Sharonda Amamilo set bail at $5,000 for Matson and allowed Blacketer to be released on her personal recognizance. Amamilo also barred both of them from contacting the alleged victim.
Matson has since posted bail and been released from the county jail, per court records.
On June 28, the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Matson and Blacketer with first-degree robbery.
Matson has a criminal history that dates back to 2008 and includes assault, obstruction and harassment convictions among others, according to court records. Blacketer only has a 2023 theft conviction on her record.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the alleged robbery from the perspective of law enforcement.
An officer contacted the woman who was allegedly bear maced near her tent. She told the officer that Matson had been upset with her about an incident involving his dogs, so he allegedly threatened to take her puppies.
Matson reportedly entrusted the woman to care for his three dogs while he was recently in jail, according to the statement. Matson’s dogs “somehow” ended up at Joint Animal Services.
Matson allegedly told the woman that one of the dogs died at the shelter and he was not allowed to retrieve the remaining two, according to the statement.
The woman alleged Matson arrived at her tent uninvited and threatened to punch her in the face. She further alleged Matson ordered Blacketer to mace her and her partner, according to the statement.
After they were maced, Matson and Blacketer allegedly left the scene with the three puppies. The woman’s partner and another witness reportedly declined to speak with law enforcement due to “fear of retaliation,” per the statement.
Notably, the woman told the officer that Matson wore a Spider-Man costume during the alleged robbery.
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies later located and detained Matson and Blacketer at a residence south of Tumwater.
Matson allegedly told the Olympia officer that he claimed the puppies because one of his dogs fathered them, according to the statement. He reportedly denied macing or threatening anyone.
Blacketer also denied macing anyone or taking the puppies, per the statement.
The officer looked into their vehicle and noted that a Spider-Man mask rested on the passenger side and a vacuum was being used to clean the car.
An officer returned the puppies to the woman in the Jungle while another officer transported Matson and Blacketer to the county jail.
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