Man who dodged trial surrenders

The Daily Inter Lake

A Kalispell man suspected of holding up an east Kalispell couple at gunpoint and then failing to show up for his June 2008 trial has turned himself in to authorities.

Rodney Allan Silsbee, 35, was taken into custody Wednesday at the Flathead County Sheriff's Office.

Silsbee, who pleaded innocent to robbery and assault with a weapon in June 2007, now also faces one count of felony bail jumping.

He is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center in lieu of $120,000 bail pending an appearance in Justice Court.

Silsbee allegedly broke into a house on the 2000 block of Third Avenue East in June 2007, sheriff's detectives said. He then flashed a revolver and demanded money from the couple living there.

A scuffle between Silsbee and the husband broke out, and Silsbee reportedly fired the revolver into the floor - accidentally hitting himself in the foot. During that scuffle, Silsbee allegedly hit the husband over the head with the gun and then fled. He left without taking anything from the house.

The husband received a superficial head wound and was not taken to the hospital.

Several hours later, Silsbee was seen leaving the parking lot of a bar on U.S. 2 in Kalispell. He was pulled over and arrested at gunpoint.

If convicted, Silsbee faces up to 70 years in prison and more than a $100,000 fine.