Kalispell man sentenced for attack, attempt to steal gambling winnings

A Kalispell man was sentenced with the Department of Corrections after attacking a man in an attempt to steal his gambling winnings.

Judge Dan Wilson sentenced Kalvin Alan Taylor, 43, to five years with the Department of Corrections for an amended felony criminal endangerment charge in Flathead District Court on Aug. 8. Taylor received a consecutive five-year suspended sentence for felony theft.

Taylor was originally charged with attempted robbery with a weapon enhancement, which was later amended to the lesser charge in addition to another count of theft being dismissed as per a plea agreement.

According to court documents, the Kalispell Police Department responded to Super 8 and Cattleman’s Bar and Casino to investigate an attempted robbery on March 28. The victim reported he had won money after gambling earlier in the day and messaged a woman asking her to dinner. The woman arrived at his hotel room with another woman, who allegedly told Taylor he “should come rob him,” and get “easy money,” court documents state. The three entered a stairwell on their way to dinner when a man, later identified as Taylor, reportedly lunged toward the victim and struck him.

The victim told police he ran down the stairs into the lobby yelling for a desk clerk to call 911. He ran into the parking lot, stumbled and fell when Taylor reportedly continued attacking him, brandishing a knife and swinging it in his direction. The victim got away and called 911 at Cattleman’s Bar.

Police located Taylor, who admitted to watching the women enter the motel then waited in the stairwell for an hour before chasing the victim down the stairs and into the parking lot, court documents state.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.