Probation violations land woman in jail

POLSON — A 22-year-old St. Ignatius woman had her suspended sentence revoked in District Court last Wednesday, Nov. 23. Charges stemmed from a 2010 stabbing crime where, according to court documents, Tashina Carpenter violated her probation by possessing weapons and testing positive for THC and meth, while also showing resistance to meeting other conditions of the suspended sentence.

Lake County Sheriff’s Office reports said that on July 22, Carpenter stabbed an individual who was over at her house drinking.

According to the affidavit, the victim and a friend had gone over to the home of Carpenter and were drinking beer. After Carpenter confronted the victim about drinking, she threatened to stab him. The victim then lifted up his shirt and said “cut us then.”

According to court documents, Carpenter stabbed the victim in the stomach and fled the scene.

The affidavit also read that the blade went through the victim’s stomach and just missed the aorta. The victim had to be transported by helicopter to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula.

Carpenter originally plead no contest in Lake County District Court to the offense of aggravated assault and on May 4 was sentenced to 10 years, all suspended, in jail.

However, her parole officer reported several violations including testing positive for THC and meth, something Carpenter admitted to, according to court documents. She also admitted to not committing a job search and missing a chemical dependency evaluation.

Carpenter’s parole officer reported that Carpenter was in possession of a sharpened screwdriver, a hilted knife, a pocket knife with a bullet-casing cover and two smaller pocket knives. Carpenter denied these allegations.

“The violation of having not one but five weapons in her possession makes the defendant a danger to the community,” the probation officer said in her report to the court.

Carpenter will now serve five years of her 10-year sentence.