Police say man threatened woman with machete

He’s arrested on aggravated assault, drug charges

A Wallace man who was living in a Coeur d’Alene motel when police said he threatened a woman with a machete is being held in the Kootenai County jail on $30,000 bail.

Jeffrey M. Jennings is charged with one count of aggravated assault, and one count of possession of a controlled substance, both felonies.

Police said Jennings, 37, was arrested early Monday after he allegedly threatened a motel neighbor with a rusty machete, and told her she needed to give him $150 so he could buy some methamphetamine.

According to police reports, Jennings lived in the Motel 6 and allowed a neighbor to use his older model Honda Civic. When she used the car longer than he had expected, Jennings allegedly threatened her, police said.

“He yelled at her that he missed out on a job opportunity worth $150 and some meth,” according to a police report.

The woman said that Jennings told her he would cut her arm off with the machete if she didn’t pay up.

When police checked on the incident, a K-9 sniffed the Honda in front of the motel indicating there were drugs in the car, police said.

Officers knocked on Jennings’ motel room door and saw drug paraphernalia including syringes and drug pipes on the table, according to a police report.

Jennings told police he was “just trying to put a little scare into her,” according to a report.

Police said there were no surveillance cameras where the incident was alleged to have happened, to record the threats.

The victim told officers that Jennings behavior and drug use frightened her.

Jennings will have a probable cause hearing in First District Court within two weeks.