Assault suspect pleads innocent to bail jumping

A Kalispell man charged with felony counts of robbery and aggravated assault has pleaded not guilty to felony bail jumping after failing to appear at his trial.

Tevin Groshelle, 19, was charged with the first pair of felonies after allegedly stealing a bag of chips and a bottle of aspirin by an employee of Smith’s Food and Drug Center on Jan. 28. The employee followed Groshelle to the Blue and White Motel and confronted him about the theft.

Groshelle allegedly asked another man inside the room to “help me beat this guy up,” but the man refused, at which point Groshelle punched the employee in the face and fled on foot, according to a court document.

The employee sustained a broken jaw and underwent surgery to have a pair of metal plates affixed to his jaw.

Groshelle pleaded not guilty to the charges, for which he faces between two and 60 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 if convicted, on April 25.

He was released from the Flathead County Detention Center after posting a $20,000 bond, then allegedly failed to appear for his Nov. 4 trial, leading to the bail jumping charge.

That charge carries a possible penalty of up to 10 years in the Montana State Prison.

Groshelle is currently incarcerated in the county jail again, with his bond now set at $25,000.

His next hearing in the robbery and assault case is set for Jan. 29, while the next hearing in his bail jumping case is set for March 5.