Lakeside man faces series of court charges

A 29-year-old Lakeside man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Flathead District Court to felony charges of assault on a minor and criminal endangerment across two cases.

Auldin Peek is alleged to have slapped his then 4-year-old son on Sept. 20, 2011, for “fake coughing,” leaving bruises on the boy’s face.

In his second case, a court document states that officers were dispatched on May 21 to the parking lot of Cattleman’s Bar, where Peek was slumped over in the driver’s seat with the vehicle running and his four children — ages 6, 5, 3 and 3 — inside.

One of the children, “crying and visibly shaken,” reportedly described to an officer that a man had come up and “jacked” her dad, and that her dad would not wake up.

The officer reported he had to shake Peek several times before he woke up, and that when he tried to sit up he lost his balance and fell out of the car.

A syringe was found in Peek’s pocket, and he allegedly told the officer he used it to shoot heroin, admitting that he had alcohol, marijuana, heroin and pain killers in his system.

In addition to the two pending cases, a person claiming to be Peek’s grandparent contacted the Kalispell Police Department on Wednesday seeking to have child endangerment charges filed against him.

If convicted on both charges, Peek faces up to 15 years in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.

His next hearing in the assault case is set for June 13, and the next hearing in the endangerment case is set for August 29.