Man charged in alleged knife attack

COEUR d’ALENE — A judge denied a motion Thursday to release a man accused of attempting to carjack a woman at knifepoint.

Jesse P. Sanchez, 26, of Coeur d’Alene, is charged with attempted robbery and two counts of aggravated assault, all felonies. He is also charged with malicious injury to property, a misdemeanor.

Coeur d’Alene police responded Oct. 5 to a report of an altercation outside Taj Grocery Store.

At the scene, a woman told police that Sanchez was an acquaintance who was riding in her car, along with several other people. She said Sanchez behaved erratically and repeatedly said he liked her car, which worried her.

The woman said she stopped at the convenience store and told Sanchez to leave. In response, Sanchez allegedly threatened her with a knife and told her and the other passengers to get out.

The woman said she used pepper spray on Sanchez and he jumped out of the car. He allegedly stabbed a tire, but the knife cut his hand when the woman threw the car in reverse and backed out of the parking lot.

Police arrested Sanchez at the scene.

When interviewed, he admitted to pulling a knife but denied threatening the driver with it, according to court documents. He told police the driver had cut his hand with a different knife.

First District Judge James Combo ordered that Sanchez be held on $50,000 bail and issued a no contact order that prohibits Sanchez from contacting the driver and other passengers.

Sanchez’s attorney, public defender Tyler Naftz, asked Thursday for his client to be released on his own recognizance or for bail to be lowered to $1,000.

Prosecutor Donna Gardner objected on the grounds that the driver feared for her safety.

“She is terrified of him being released,” Gardner said. “She knows him to have violent tendencies.”

Judge Robert Caldwell denied the motion, citing the seriousness of the allegations.

A preliminary hearing in the case has not yet been scheduled.