HOT SPRINGS -- A Bonnerdale man was sentenced to 40 years in prison Friday after a two-day trial on multiple charges stemming from an armed robbery and two burglaries committed in less than two hours last year.
A seven-woman, five-man jury found Lonnie Michael Davidson, 42, guilty of aggravated robbery, residential burglary, commercial burglary and theft of property over $1,000 after about 45 minutes of deliberations.
The jury spent another 45 minutes deliberating before recommending a sentence of 25 years for the aggravated robbery, 15 years for the residential burglary and five years each for the commercial burglary and theft charges.
Chief deputy prosecutor Joe Graham noted that while the two five-year sentences will run concurrently with the 15-year sentence, Judge Marcia Hearnsberger ruled the 25-year sentence would run consecutively, for a total of 40 years.
Davidson will have to serve at least 70 percent of the aggravated robbery sentence and at least one-sixth of the other sentences, or about 20 years, before he will be eligible for parole.
Graham said Davidson admitted to most of the accusations before and during the trial but maintained he was not armed with a gun, only a flashlight, during the initial robbery. He also denied threatening to kill anyone during that robbery.
According to an affidavit, on April 12, 2016, around 6 a.m., a Hot Springs resident heard noises coming from the back of his house and discovered his four-wheeler had been moved from underneath his patio to the backyard.
A man then appeared from around the side of the house and said that if the resident didn't go back inside, the man would "blow your head off," the resident told police.
The robber followed the resident up the staircase to his home and said, "Don't come out or I'll kill both of you," referring to the resident's wife, and then fled into the woods behind the house, according to the affidavit. In addition to attempting to steal the four-wheeler, the robber kicked in the basement door and stole four sets of tools, the affidavit said.
At 7:13 a.m., officers were informed that a suspicious man was seen running from the Hot Springs Community Youth Counseling Christian School, where an alarm was going off. A burglary was reported at the school.
Shortly after 7:30 a.m., Detective Scott Lampinen found Davidson, who matched the description of the suspect from the earlier crimes, as he attempted to hide behind a vehicle in the area, according to the affidavit.
Davidson led officers on a foot chase until he disappeared into a residence through an unlocked door, according to the affidavit. Davidson changed clothes while hiding in a closet before the home's occupants told officers of his whereabouts and he was taken into custody.
Davidson admitted to encountering the first man and stealing his tools, and said he had broken into the school and taken several laptops, according to the affidavit. He said he discarded the laptops in a dumpster and fled after the alarms went off, it said. He had also stolen a chain saw and weed trimmer from a porch, he told police.
Metro on 05/14/2017