Men accused of firing at deputies held without bail

Two men arrested Thursday morning after allegedly causing a disturbance at a Creston home and then shooting at responding deputies will be held without bail in the Flathead County Detention Center pending extradition hearings on parole violation charges out of Oregon.

That hearing, at which prosecutors will notify the court if Oregon is seeking the pair's return, is scheduled for mid-November.

Separate charges filed in Flathead County against Daniel Joseph Schwindt, 40, and Brian Daniel Rendon, 36, are expected to come down early next week, according to the Flathead County Attorney's Office.

Also in court Friday was one of the women involved in the disturbance that preceded the shooting and subsequent manhunt. Amy Carrothers, 35, is charged with one count of felony obstructing justice for allowing Rendon, her boyfriend, to live in her home knowing that he was wanted in Oregon for parole violations.

She was released Friday on her own recognizance following an initial appearance in Justice Court. Her arraignment is set for Nov. 18.

At 1:23 a.m. Thursday, Carrothers and another woman called the Sheriff's Office from Carrothers' home on the 1300 block of Riverside Road to report that two men had "torn up the house," beaten them up, and threatened to shoot at law enforcement.

When deputies arrived, between seven and 10 shots were fired from the house toward officers, said Flathead County Sheriff Mike Meehan.

Law enforcement did not return fire.

Investigators have not determined whether both Schwindt and Rendon were in the house and which of them allegedly fired at deputies.

After the shots were fired, the Flathead County SWAT team and Kalispell Special Response Team set up a perimeter and entered the house at about 3:15 a.m.

But the suspects had already fled, Meehan said.

Authorities set up roadblocks on the north end of Riverside Road, south end of Riverside Road, and intersection of Montana 35 and Dyer Road. Two deputies were stationed at the nearby Creston School. Investigators used a notification system typically reserved for missing children to put out the suspects' description.

After a short manhunt, both suspects were in police custody by 8:30 a.m., Meehan said. Schwindt was arrested walking near the Flathead River without incident. Rendon was arrested after approaching a vehicle and asking for a ride out of the area. The driver refused and notified investigators. Neither suspect had traveled outside the roadblock perimeter.

Deputies recovered two guns from the scene: a .22-caliber rifle and a .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle.

Both suspects had been drinking the night of the incident and were still intoxicated at the time of their arrest. Neither of the women in the trailer at the time of the incident were seriously injured, Meehan said.

Rendon is in violation of his parole from Linn County, Ore. homicide charges, and Schwindt is in violation of his parole from unauthorized use of a motor vehicle charges in Salem, Ore.

The pair had been in Montana for about three weeks, prosecutors said.

Schwindt has a prior criminal history in Flathead County. He was convicted in 2006 for partner assault and criminal endangerment after beating up his then girlfriend. He served 165 days in the Flathead County jail for that offense.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com