EVERETT — The man who broke into the Snohomish County courthouse and ransacked a sheriff’s office refrigerator was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Snohomish County Superior Court Judge George Bowden ordered Daniel Hodson to undergo a mental health evaluation and comply with any treatment recommendations. Hodson, 25, also will be under the supervision of the state Department of Corrections for a year and a half once he’s released.
He pleaded guilty to first-degree burglary. He faced up to 20 months in prison at last week’s hearing. Hodson didn’t have any prior felony convictions. He had run-ins with police as a juvenile, including being involved in taking a Cascade High School teacher’s car.
Hodson’s break-in in at the courthouse May 24 created a stir in downtown as police officers hunted for him for a couple of hours.
Police said Hodson got into the courthouse by smashing a glass door with a crowbar. He rifled through a metal cabinet near the entrance and then took the stairs to the sheriff’s office on the fourth floor, where he pried open the door.
It was a Sunday morning but several people were working in the records division.
Employees heard glass shatter in the break room. The women went to investigate and spotted Hodson rummaging through the refrigerator. He had grabbed a sandwich and also was holding an 8-inch knife. He stood up and dropped the crowbar. That’s when he saw the women and yelled, “The police brought me here. I don’t want to die.”
The women backed out, locked themselves in the nearby records room and called 911.
“The civilians were extremely afraid for their lives,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
By the time officers arrived and secured the courthouse, Hodson had fled. A couple of hours later Everett police found him a few blocks away. He denied being in the courthouse earlier that morning.
Hodson’s backpack was found in the courthouse. Inside was clothing, a metal drain plug, rocks, a pipe and a black crowbar. Several items were missing from the sheriff’s office fridge and the vending machine was damaged.
Hodson was ordered to pay $1,566.80 for the damage he caused during the break-in.
Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463; hefley@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @dianahefley.
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