Motel owner held on $1 mil. bond for kidnapping, assault

The co-owner of a Sidney motel is being held on a $1 million bond and faces charges that include kidnapping, domestic assault and drug and gun possession.

Sidney resident Jason Assad, 35, co-owns the El Palomino Motel at 2220 Illinois St., Sidney. The arrest stems from an alleged altercation at the property in the morning hours of Sept. 14.

Sidney Police responded to a report of an argument and a female screaming, “leave me along and get the hell out,” according to court documents. When police arrived, they tried to make contact with Assad, whose car was present and lived in an apartment on site.

When those attempts failed, officers sought and served a search warrant at the motel a little after noon that day. Police said that when they entered the apartment, Assad “approached law enforcement aggressively, screaming and cursing at them,” according to court files. Assad was detained, and the search of the apartment and office was conducted.

During that search, the female victim was discovered in the office. She had two black eyes and told officers that Assad had “aggressively pushed his head against hers,” court documents said. A pipe resembling one used for ingesting methamphetamine was also found during the apartment search, police said. A field test was conducted on the pipe, and it came back positive for the drug.

While officers were processing the scene, they discovered surveillance equipment inside both the office and apartment, court files said. Last week, police received a search warrant to access that equipment.

In reviewing the footage, police said they saw Assad with a long, bolt-action rifle with a scope and sling on Sept. 13 and the following morning. They also viewed Assad with a black handled knife in a sheath connected to his belt, and then pulling out the knife and placing it near the victim’s head area, according to the court documents. The victim confirmed that the police as well, police said.

According to court records, Assad – a convicted felon in Colorado – had previous allegations of domestic violence against the same woman in separate incidents last April and June. Charges were filed in that case, but the case was later dismissed when the victim chose not to cooperate with the prosecution and changed her story to law enforcement.

Assad, who was previously convicted on felony charges in Jefferson County, Colo., has been charged with possession of a deadly weapon by a person prohibited, possession of methamphetamine, second-degree domestic assault, kidnapping, first-degree false imprisonment, terroristic threatening, use of a weapon (knife) to commit a felony and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.

He is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 15 at 3:30 p.m.