Woman accused in drill assault

Prosecutors charged suspect with assault in second degree and fourth degree, obstructing an officer

A 25-year-old Freeland woman who is suspected of brandishing a large drill and a knife at her significant other is facing domestic assault charges, according to court documents.

Prosecutors charged Ceaira R. Ekberg in Island County Superior Court May 1 with assault in the second degree, assault in the fourth degree and obstructing a law enforcement officer. The assault charges were filed as domestic-violence crimes.

Ekberg was released from jail pending trial, according to court documents. She was ordered to avoid contact with the victim.

According to a report from a deputy with the Island County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement responded to a report of domestic violence at a Freeland home on the morning of April 26. The reporting party told the call dispatcher that Ekberg was “freaking out” and holding a steak knife to her partner. The caller reported no injuries but said the couple had been wrestling. The victim walked outside the home and left on foot.

The deputy wrote in her report that she heard a woman screaming when she arrived on scene; the deputy discovered other law enforcement officers were attempting to restrain Ekberg, who had been thrashing and kicking.

The reporting party, who identified herself as a friend of the family, told the deputy that Ekberg “done lost her mind.” According to the report, the family friend saw Ekberg with a large drill in her hand, preparing to smash the back of the victim’s head. The man turned around and grabbed Ekberg in a bear hug, wrestling her to the ground. The family friend then observed Ekberg with a steak knife pointed at the man, who left the home. He returned later, uninjured.

The deputy’s report stated that Ekberg proposed several excuses for why she couldn’t be arrested. She said she couldn’t be taken out of her jurisdiction and leave “the base,” and resisted standing up. She also told the deputies that she was disabled and needed a wheelchair, but one couldn’t be found. She was picked up and carried, kicking and screaming, to the patrol car.

The deputy noted in her report that there have been previous protective orders between Ekberg and the victim and that Ekberg has had multiple mental health crises in the recent past.

“Ekberg was clearly experiencing a break from reality as she believed she was on a military base and would get in trouble if we transported her away,” the deputy wrote, adding her recommendation for a mental health evaluation of Ekberg.

The judge agreed with this recommendation.