photo by Hollie Webb
During the preliminary hearing for the young man charged with vandalizing Westview Elementary, a videoed police statement given by defendant Aaron Roden showed him saying he had taken "57 adderall pills, a handful of xanax and 10 hits of LSD" at the time of the incident.
Deputies testified that when they first entered the building, Roden was "jumping up and grabbing ceiling tiles and pulling them down."
When he noticed them, they said he threw a fire extinguisher at them before running down the hall.
They said they found him in the school's library, holding onto the steel ceiling structure and hanging from it.
It was at this point that he allegedly picked up a desktop printer and threw it at them.
One deputy said that his first impression had been that Roden was possibly high. He said the defendant had been sweating profusely.
Roden had to be tazed several times in order to get him under control. By the time he was arrested, school officials said he had done approximately $18,000 in damage.
Though his arrest was in August, his preliminary hearing was initially delayed in order to allow time for him to be mentally evaluated.
While deemed competent to stand trial, staff at Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute noted that Roden has a long history of mental illness. It was stated during the hearing that he suffers from ADHD, bipolar disorder and anxiety.
Defense attorney Bill Speek requested that Judge Gary Starnes lower his bond from $350,000 to below $100,000 so that Roden can be transferred to the Silverdale workhouse.
He said, "The mental health treatment at Silverdale tends to be a little better."
However, Judge Starnes said he believes Roden would be too much of a danger in the case that he made bond and was released.
The rampage at Westview was not the first incident of violence for Roden. Judge Starnes stated that drugs were almost always involved.
He said, "This raging drug problem is in the center of every violent incident he has." He also noted that none of the pills Roden said he had taken were prescribed. During other episodes, more hallucinogens, including mushrooms and peyote, were involved.
Judge Starnes described it as an "overload of drug use."
He said, "If he gets out and starts that again, he's definitely going to kill somebody or hurt somebody."
All of the charges against Roden were bound over to a grand jury except for vandalism over $60,000, which was changed to vandalism over $10,000.
photo by Hollie Webb