Columbia Falls pair charged with assault with a weapon

A pair of Columbia Falls residents face felony assault with a weapon charges after allegedly beating a man and then threatening him with a gun on April 5.

Buffie Nadine Daniels, 44, and Aaron Egan Kodama, 49, are being held in the Flathead County Detention Center following their arrests last week. The pair are set to be arraigned in Flathead County District Court on April 14.

The two came under scrutiny after police officers in Columbia Falls responded to a report of a disturbance on Martha Road about 11:43 p.m. on April 5. Upon arrival, they found a bloodied man suffering from a head wound. He told officers that two individuals attacked him, according to court documents.

One of the attackers, the man, wielded a baton, he said. The other, a woman, pulled a gun on him and cocked it, court documents said.

A resident of nearby Diane Road told officers that he spotted a pair armed with a handgun and what looked like a metal pipe walking by his home, according to court documents. The duo entered a nearby home, he told officers.

After securing a search warrant for the property, officers took Daniels and Kodama into custody. A check of the home turned up a black handgun and bent metal baton, court documents said.

Under questioning, Daniels allegedly admitted carrying out the assault with Kodama’s help.

Daniels and Kodama were initially held on a $100,000 bond each.

Assault with a weapon comes with a maximum punishment of 20 years in the Montana State Prison and a $50,000 fine.

News Editor Derrick Perkins can be reached at 758-4430 or dperkins@dailyinterlake.com.