Lake Wenatchee man arrested after setting motorhome ablaze, charging deputies with machete

LAKE WENATCHEE — On Thursday night, Chelan County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call to the 15000 block of U.S. Highway 2 for a person in crisis. The subject, 63-year-old Mark Germain of Lake Wenatchee, lives in a motorhome behind the 59er Diner and called in to RiverCom himself, asking to go to a hospital by ambulance. He advised he would only go if deputies were with him.

According to the press release from Chelan County Sheriff Mike Morrison, deputies responded along with Lake Wenatchee Fire & Rescue. Upon arrival, deputies made contact with the man, who came to his door armed with a hammer and a machete. Germain refused to exit the motorhome, saying he didn’t feel safe.

Deputies then activated their flashing emergency lights in order to show Germain that they were there to assist him and prove their identities, but the man still refused to come out, despite acknowledging the lights while on the phone with one of the deputies.

After some time trying to coax Germain from his residence, deputies saw Germain running towards them, still armed with the machete, but apparently having left the hammer behind. He was ordered to drop the weapon and get down on the ground, which he complied with, and he was taken into custody safely.

It was at that point that first responders noticed Germain had set fire to the trailer prior to rushing the deputies. Thankfully, Fire & Rescue was already at the scene and was able to deal swiftly with the blaze while deputies evacuated citizens nearby to keep them from the fire in the small, guests-only community behind the historic restaurant.

Germain will face a weapons charge for running toward the deputies with the machete and a 1st Degree Arson charge for lighting his motorhome on fire and damaging and endangering nearby structures.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media