YAKIMA — A judge is scolding Yakima’s police chief over a letter he sent about an inmate who fled during a reprieve from jail.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported that Superior Court Judge David Elofson addressed the issue during a hearing Monday. Elofson said he viewed the letter from Chief Dominic Rizzi Jr. as an attempt to influence the sentencing of the inmate.
Rizzi said he wrote the letter to raise concerns about the granting of jail furloughs. Inmate Shaun Vanarendonk had fled during one of his furloughs, and Elofson asked the court to take more care when giving breaks from jail.
Vanarendonk was released from jail in late July in order to attend a relative’s funeral. He failed to return on time. Deputies eventually caught him after a chase.
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