Island County Man Faces $250,000 Warrant After Missing Court Date

An Oak Harbor man accused of threatening two women and stabbing a dog is wanted on a $250,000 warrant. James L. Mathis, 39, failed to appear for a hearing in Island County Superior Court on Monday.

Prosecutors charged Mathis in Island County Superior Court on March 3 with animal cruelty in the first degree and two counts of felony harassment. An officer with the Oak Harbor Police Department started investigating the case on Feb. 9 after a woman reported that Mathis had threatened to kill her and a friend. She said he got angry when she left the home to help a friend move her vehicle and threw items at her when she returned; when she and her friend started to leave with her children, Mathis broke the car's windshield. Mathis allegedly threatened both women and said he would burn down the house with everyone inside.

One of the women also reported that Mathis had stabbed her pitbull two days prior, saying Mathis pushed the dog and it bit him. Mathis "went after" the dog and stabbed it with a knife; the woman felt he was going to kill the dog if she didn't stop him. The dog was taken to an Oak Harbor veterinary office and treated, with costs covered by crisis care funds from Whidbey Animals' Improvement Foundation. The medical report states that the dog suffered a two-inch-long stab wound, and the veterinarian inserted drainage tubes that were removed two weeks later.

A judge had approved a summons ordering Mathis to appear in court March 23. He did not show, and the $250,000 arrest warrant followed.

Mathis remains at large. Anyone with information about his whereabouts can contact the Island County Sheriff's Office.