PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles woman charged with stealing a Clallam Transit bus and driving it nearly to Shelton will be in Clallam County Superior Court again on May 17 as her defense attorney works to get her into mental health court.
Hailey R. Weatherbie, 35, was charged Feb. 7 with one count of theft of a motor vehicle. It is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment and/or a $20,000 fine, plus restitution and assessments.
Defense attorney Charlie Commeree told Superior Court Judge Simon Barnhart on Friday that he hoped the resolution of Weatherbie’s case envisions mental health court, which will require some screening. He already had filled out the mental health court form, but the coordinator has been on vacation the past two weeks, Commeree said.
He requested to strike the May 13 trial date and hoped that Weatherbie could enter mental health court on May 10.
Barnhart set a May 17 date for a resolve/reset hearing to get a better sense of how the case will proceed.
Clallam Transit General Manager Jim Fetzer was alerted shortly before 5 p.m. on Dec. 27 that one of his agency’s buses was missing on a layover at the Sequim Transit Center, 190 W. Cedar St.
A review of video footage from outside the transit center showed a woman forcing the doors of the bus open and driving it away at 2:19 p.m.
A transit worker identified Weatherbie as having been at the transit earlier in the day and inquiring about getting to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Fetzer said.
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office and Washington State Patrol were alerted when the bus’ GPS tracking device identified its location on state Highway 3 near Allyn, just north of Shelton.
A Mason County deputy identified the bus and pulled it over about 10 minutes after Mason County Emergency Communications received a call about the bus.
Weatherbie was the only occupant on the bus when she was apprehended.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached by email at brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.
