Sultan man pleads guilty to August drive-by shooting charges

Sultan resident David Keith Box pleaded guilty to second-degree assault and second-degree assault with a firearm for the drive-by shooting incident that occurred over the summer in Sultan.

Box, 22, will be sentenced in Snohomish County Superior Court on Thursday, Nov. 12. He could receive up to 64 months in prison, said a judge last week. The Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office assessed Box's known criminal history to establish its standard sentencing recommendation, which was 12-14 months on the second-degree assault charge and 48-50 months on the second-degree assault with the firearm allegation.

The court may also impose up to 18 months of community custody, along with court costs, attorney's fees and restitution. The judge told Box both charges together will count as one strike, a classification given to more serious felony crimes.

Washington was the first state to implement a three-strikes law, which was passed in 1993. This means that if Box were to receive two more strikes, he could face life in prison.-á -á

Box has been incarcerated at the Snohomish County Jail since the incident, which occurred near the corner of First and Main streets on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Police were alerted to the scene by Sultan resident Melcena Mae Miller, who called 911 around 12:14 a.m. to report that somebody had just fired shots at her Main Street residence.

According to police documents, the sheriff's office was dispatched to Miller's residence a few hours prior to the shooting, after a 911 call reporting a physical confrontation. Upon arrival, Snohomish County Sheriff's Deputy Jeff Howerton observed Box in a physical altercation with Sultan resident Tulsa Hill. According to police documents, neither Box nor Hill would cooperate with the deputy, and neither wished to press charges on the other.

As the deputy left the scene, he observed Box and his girlfriend get into a dark green Chevrolet Tahoe and leave the area. A little more than an hour later, Miller called 911 to report that Box had just fired shots at her home. Deputies were subsequently dispatched to both Miller and Box's residences; Howerton checked Box's residence and then went to the shooting scene when he didn't find him home.-á

According to police documents, Howerton examined the front of the Main Street residence and discovered numerous small holes that appeared to be new, based on the fresh-looking splinters of wood. The holes were located near the front door and window. He located additional holes in a travel trailer parked west of the residence, and another in the back hatch of a vehicle parked on Main Street.

Further investigation recovered the weapon, which had been stashed in a residence on Trout Farm Road. Deputies located a Marlin Model 60 .22 long rifle hidden under a mattress in a bedroom, which matched a spent .22-caliber shell casing found near First and Main streets.-á -á -á

According to last week's court proceedings, Box was charged with the intentional assaults of Miller and Melcena Knapp, another Sultan resident known to live in the vicinity. In addition to incarceration and community custody, Box will lose his right to drive for a period of time after his release.-á