The Jenkins family was preparing to go to church on Sunday when they got a petrifying phone call -- their niece was being chased through Lolo by an unknown stranger with no known motive.
That stranger then came to their home and attempted to break into it while tearing off pieces of the home and using them as weapons.
"I was afraid that I was going to hear my niece get murdered on the phone because she called me when he started to try and run her off the road," Barbie Jenkins recalled.
Court documents state that Robert Washburn attempted to run the Jenkins' niece Katy off the road and then chased her through Lolo to Barbie’s house. "I saw the car come barreling across the yard at about 60 mph and plowed into our deck."
Washburn then attempted to break into the home while Barbie her two kids and Katy where inside.
"We were just in absolute terror because he was trying to break into the house. He was kicking at the glass door and he ripped the gutters off the house and he tried to break the glass with the gutters," Barbie told MTN News. "And then he got on top of the roof which is split level and he started to try to kick his way into the house which would have put him into our living room if he was successful."
Its at that point Barbie’s husband Al got home and attempted to subdue Washburn.
"When I pulled up he came to the edge of the roof. He just had an evil look in his eye. It wasn't a human look at all, and he walked back and forth and he said 'are you ready for this', at which point I lied and said 'yes' and I said 'bring it' because I knew I had to keep my family safe," Al said.
Al then fought with Washburn until he had him somewhat subdued and that's when Al’s niece Katy helped with the rest.
"And I was able to then push him to the edge of the deck and basically detain him, at which point Katy came around and said 'I have your gun.' and I said, 'bring it to me'," Al recalled. "At that point, I put it to his head told him to drop and he said 'I'm going to sit down.' But he wouldn't. Katy ran to her car and grabbed another gun."
Two guns pointed in Washburn's direction finally got him to the ground until law enforcement arrived.
"Honestly, didn't feel fear right then. I did later. At that point in time, all I knew was that my family was inside and it was up to me to do everything that I could to keep them safe," Al said.
"It's just insane, absolutely insane. I knew that if he got into the house, somebody was going to die," Barbie said.
Washburn made his initial appearance in a Missoula courtroom on Monday where a judge set his bail at $250,000,
Katy told MTN News: "I do not know why I was chosen as the target. I did not do anything to provoke this. I was driving from Lolo to Missoula when everything went crazy. With that being said, I was told by the Missoula County Sheriffs that he was under the influence of narcotics and he had a syringe on him when he was searched and arrested. So this was obviously some sort of drug induced decision. Drugs make you do crazy things. One of his many charges does include driving while under the influence."
Washburn made his initial appearance in a Missoula courtroom on Monday where a judge set his bond at $250,000.
According to the Missoula County DetentionCenter, Washburn is being held on the following charges:
- Criminal endangerment (felony)
- Driving under the influence of alcohol (2nd offense, misdemeanor)
- Assault with a weapon (felony)
- Criminal mischief (felony)
- Burglary, residence (felony)
- Theft, 1st offense (misdemeanor)
- Bond revocation
- Extra-jurisdictional warrant
