'I can't believe it'

COEUR d’ALENE — A Coeur d’Alene woman said three bail bondsmen burst into her motel room Tuesday night, threw her to the floor and handcuffed her before realizing they had the wrong person.

“It makes you realize how unsafe you really are,” Jessica Rohe said.

Coeur d’Alene Police Capt. Dave Hagar said the department is investigating the incident, which appears to be a case of mistaken identity.

He said the initial investigation indicated the bail bondsmen had a warrant for a woman who previously stayed at the Budget Saver Motel, so they went there looking for her.

Hagar said the case will be forwarded to the Kootenai County prosecuting attorney’s office.

Rohe said she and her longtime partner, Nathaniel Matthews, were sleeping at the motel on Sherman Avenue when someone began pounding on their door about 8:45 p.m.

Matthews said he thought it was the manager, so he got up and opened the door. He said he saw three men with guns and flashlights who yelled “show me your hands.”

He said he slammed and locked the door.

Rohe said she peeked out the window and asked the men who they were and what they wanted.

She said the men said they were there to get her and yelled for her to open the door.

"Again I asked who they were looking for and they said Sara," Rohe said. 

Matthews said the men then opened the door without identifying themselves and shouted at him and Rohe to get on the floor.

Matthews said two of the men had handguns and one had what appeared to be a semi-automatic rifle.

He said they grabbed Rohe, who was naked, by her arms and threw her to the floor, face-first, and handcuffed her.

Rohe said she again asked who they were and was told they were with All Freedom Bail Bonds.

A redacted police report obtained by The Press referenced Rex Taylor, the owner of All Freedom Bail Bonds, and did not identify him as a suspect. When reached by phone Friday, Taylor indicated he is aware of an incident at the Budget Saver Motel but declined to comment on the matter.

A woman who identified herself as a manager at the Budget Saver Motel also declined to comment when contacted by The Press.

“You jumped bail. This is what happens when you jump bail,” Rohe said one of the men told her.

Rohe said she told them she never jumped bail and didn’t know what they were talking about.

“It’s not me,” she said, adding that she insisted they had the wrong person, the wrong room, and offered to show them identification. 

Matthews said he was scared as he realized the men were not police officers. He said he and Rohe have been together 20 years and said he felt helpless as he stood there as she was handcuffed on the floor. He said the men refused to let him cover her with a blanket.

“They were adamant they had the right person,” he said.

But after a few minutes, one of the men said they might have the wrong person. They asked Rohe for her Social Security number and she gave it to them. It was then, Rohe said, they determined she was not the person they were after.

They helped her up, took off the handcuffs, covered her and apologized, Matthews said.

Rohe said she was shaken and angry.

“At this point, I’m pissed,” Rohe said. “Just go, get out of my room,” she said she told them.

She said one of the men tried to explain and show her a picture of the woman they were looking for. The two women were both blonde and in their 30s.

“We don’t look anything alike,” Rohe said.

She said the men declined to give their names, but said they were agents with All Freedom Bail Bonds.

She said the entire incident could have been avoided if the men had just confirmed they had the right person before entering the room. 

"They violated our rights, mine and my boyfriend,” she said

She said the men warned her not to tell anybody about the incident, which lasted about 15 minutes.

Both Rohe and Matthews said they couldn’t sleep that night because they were scared and felt sick. They called police the next morning.

The redacted police report said Rohe told officers that three men entered the room, pointed guns at Rohe and Matthews and handcuffed her. The offenses noted in the report are “trespassing” and “assault with a firearm,” with two handguns and one rifle listed.

“The men were bail bondsman looking to arrest Sara Evans and left after learning Jessica was not Sara … said they had full legal ability to do so because an arrest warrant was issued for Sara,” the report summary said in part.

Still, Rohe was upset.

"I don’t know what she did but it must have been something horrible to come in with that much force," Rohe said.

A woman named Sara Evans was charged in September with driving under the influence, a misdemeanor, and posted $2,000 bail.

A judge issued a $5,000 warrant for Evans’ arrest Dec. 26, after she failed to appear for trial.

Rohe said she has contacted attorneys and is considering legal action against the parties involved.

“I can understand why they came there if that’s the address on file. I get that,” she said Friday. "But you don’t check to see if that’s really her before you kick a door in and assault people? I can’t believe it."

Matthews said they have been staying at the Budget Saver for about 11 weeks, registered under his name. He said Monday will be their last day.

On Friday, Matthews said he still hadn’t gotten over the incident.

“I'm upset and I’m nervous at the same time,” he said.

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Kaye Thornbrugh contributed to this report.