07/29/2009: "Attack By Re-Enactors Leads To Felony Charges"

They just wanted to use the bathroom, but ended up being held at gunpoint, and with a smashed window of their Lincoln Navigator.

Todd Birch and William Crawford have both been charged with a Class-B felony that carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, or a $20,000.00 fine. They may or may not end of doing some jail time, but it is likely they face some big bills.

According to court records, it all started when Laura Padillan and Mario Nunez filed a report and complaint that Birch and Crawford had approached them with pointed rifles, and broke the window in their car in an attempt to stop them from “fleeing.”

Padillan and Nunez said they had gone to English Camp at Friday night to use the bathroom. While there “she saw two male individuals with rifles approach them while pointing the rifles at them. Padillas stated she was afraid for her life,” and told Nunez, who was driving the car, to get them out of there.

A report on the incident states "Both Padillan and Nunez said they were afraid for their lives and drove away from the men with rifles."

When they backed up the car to leave, they were approached by one of the men who pointed a rifle at them and said something they could not hear. When Nunez accelerate to leave the parking lot, one of the men “struck out at the vehicle with the butt end of the rifle striking the glass and cracking the window.”

The Sheriff’s office sent deputies to the park, and with the aid of the National Park Rangers, found the two in question. The men were part of the historical re-enactors for the 12th annual encampment and Pig War celebration at English and American Camp.

The two said they had a heard a car “earlier in the evening..race around the parking lot,” and when a short time later they heard another car enter the lot they decided to investigate. Problem is, they showed up “with their .58 caliber rifles and confronted Padilla and Nunez.” Padillan and Nunez said as they attempted to leave the lot, Birch blocked the exit.

When the vehicle accelerated to leave, Birch “struck the driver’s window with the butt of the rifle in an attempt to break the window and force them to stop.”

Birch and Crawford each made the $2,000.00 bail, and are to show up for arraignment on August 7th at 9:00 a.m. Crawford is from Coupeville in Wa, and Birch is from Canada.