Duped by Mother, Court Takes Children?

Okanogan, WA Court Seizes Children from Father, Christopher Coombes

By Edward Snook
Investigative Reporter

Christopher Coombes

Okanogan County, WA – Christopher Coombes and his two young daughters, ARC age 6 and LFH age 4, were living a quiet life until March 18, 2022, when their lives were abruptly disrupted by the alleged cunning acts of his ex-wife and mother of their children, Carrie Coombes. According to witnesses, and her own recorded testimony from later that year, Carrie Coombes left her daughters when ARC was three and LFH was a two-week old newborn, shortly after a judge in Alaska awarded custody to Christopher. For approximately 2 ½ years, there was no contact or communication, no effort to support, financially or emotionally, and no inquiry from Carrie regarding their daughter’s health and wellbeing.

Earlier this year, Christopher’s daughters were taken from their father by Okanogan County Sheriff deputies who were carrying out Court orders that had reportedly been initiated by fraud and carried out by deceived public officials. There was no initial investigation or proper due process, both of which, should precede these actions. Carrie and her team of out-of-state lawyers reportedly manipulated all proceedings through the Okanogan Court and even threatened lawsuits and the future employment of members of the Sheriff’s Department to push through warrants and escalate the situation without showing any evidence. This was perpetrated by alleging an “emergency”, with full knowledge that there was no evidence of any so called “emergency”.

In one of his final orders on the day of his retirement, March 31, 2022, Okanogan Superior Court Judge Christopher Culp signed a “temporary” restraining order until the year 2034 at a hearing where Christopher was not even present. This permanently barred Christopher from any contact with his daughters for 12 years. According to one witness, using false and perjured testimony and underhanded legal tactics, Carrie’s Attorneys committed fraud upon the Court and were even so bold as to indicate that they represented Christopher without his knowledge. There was no “show cause” hearing, as a matter of fact, Christopher was never even served with the court orders he was allegedly “interfering” with until after he was arrested for interfering with them.

Carrie Coombes

In essence, Carrie Coombes, with the aid of Attorney Melanie Baillie and Attorney Monica Brennan, both of the Idaho based law office of James, Vernon & Weeks, P.A, Victoria Minto of the Northwest Justice Project, the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the Okanogan County Sheriff Department (OCS), Okanogan County Prosecuting Attorney and the Okanogan Superior Court, successfully took ARC and LFH from Christopher who held full legal and physical custody of them. Without any investigation or evidence to support the wild allegations from Carrie and her Attorneys, Christopher’s daughters were taken, and all possibility of contact cut off for 12 long years. Christopher is not only worried about the whereabouts. safety and well-being of his daughters; he now finds himself erroneously, if not maliciously, charged with custodial interference and violating a restraining order.

Christopher is also the target of a libelous and slanderous smear campaign by a nonsensical internet blogger who has been cyber-stalking Christopher and his friends. Reportedly, this blogger is working with Carrie to provide slanderous media coverage during the Court proceedings in an effort to discredit the credibility of all witnesses against her. The Blogger is maliciously accusing Christopher and his witnesses of belonging to a cult, and other alleged conspiracies. This blogger even made a trip all the way to Tonasket from Minneapolis recently to make threats and continue to stir up the community.

Mother Abandons Daughters

According to court documents filed in the Superior Court for the State of Alaska, Third Judicial District at Kenai, Christopher Coombes and Carrie Coombes dissolved their marriage in April of 2018. In the Final Child Support Order, Judge Charles T. Huguelet did not order child support and found reason for the variation of child support stating, “the Parties shall continue to live together as a married couple and continue to provide for their children as such.”

At the time the dissolution decree was issued, Carrie was days away from giving birth to the couple’s second child. When LFH was born, she reportedly requested to “never hold or bond with the newborn baby.” Carrie Coombes gave birth to LFH on April 24, 2018, and knowingly and willingly reported the infant’s last name as Hezeltine on the birth certificate.

Carrie made it known that she desired to go home to Pennsylvania to be with her parents. Wanting Carrie to have time to heal, Christopher bought her a plane ticket. Two weeks after LFH was born, Carrie Coombes left for Quakertown, PA. Christopher found himself a single father with two very young daughters, not to mention operating his construction business. Graciously, extended family (Hezeltines) had offered assistance to help raise his newborn daughter, a fact that was previously known by Carrie as evidenced by the birth certificate which Carrie signed, and also the following:

On September 21, 2018, Carrie made a video where she made the following statement, presumably from her parents’ home in Pennsylvania:

“Hello, my name is Carrie Coombes. It is September 21, 2018 and I wanted to make a video to confirm that that the decision that I made with my husband earlier this year, I believe it was March through April of 2018 to dissolve our marriage as well as give him sole custody both physical and I forget what the name of the other part of it is but that he has the sole right to make decisions for them. I still agree with that. I was not forced at any point into making that decision and I still stand by that. I also stand by that, for um, the um, other daughter that I gave birth to … that she should also remain within his custody and that he has the sole right of decision and that that is in the girls’ best interest at this time.”

The video was sent to Ruthie Bisset the day it was made – September 18, 2018. Carrie appeared calm and relaxed in the delivery of her statement. She did not appear forced or under duress. Christopher did not hear from Carrie, the mother of their daughters, for nearly 2-1/2 years.

Family moves to Tonasket, WA

Christopher and the Hezeltines spent from May of 2018 through March of 2019 in search of the perfect piece of property with the intent of building a house so they could continue to raise their families together. The search took the Hezeltines to Kauai and after several visits, Christopher realized it was cost prohibitive. Their research then took them to Tonasket, WA where Christopher rented an apartment which his business, Sage Mountain Studio, LLC would eventually purchase. Due to the COVID pandemic and lockdown, the Hezeltines and LFH were not immediately able to join Christopher in Tonasket until October of 2020.

Then, in November of 2020, Carrie contacted Christopher for the first time since May of 2018. Christopher offered to facilitate provision for her to visit Tonasket and hopefully re-connect relationships with her daughters which had been severed. Unbelievably, Christopher even paid for Carries transportation costs. Carrie made known her desire to get to know their daughters and establish a maternal relationship with them. She also reportedly alluded to the possibility of reconciling their marriage. Eager for his daughters to get to know their biological mother, Christopher welcomed the idea, and he reached out to friend and next-door neighbor, Shelly Larson. Shelly had a room available in her home and agreed to rent it to Christopher with the intent that Carrie could stay there while she was in town to reunify with her two daughters. Again unbelievably, Christopher, who is the recipient of very harsh accusations made by Carrie and her Attorneys, paid for her lodging!

Fraud on the Court

Obviously, Carrie re-entered the life of Christopher and his daughters to create a conflict. Carrie spent time with Christopher in Tonasket, taking part in all daily activities, was seen all around town with her estranged family, witnessed at social events and at city hall meetings with them – all witnesses state she never expressed any fear or concern for her own safety or her daughters. In fact, she decided to move to Tonasket to help homeschool their daughters and Christopher once again paid the rent on a nearby apartment for her. The Coombes’ dissolution of Marriage in 2018, found no domestic violence, there is no record or evidence of any abuse, medical reports of abuse or harm, law enforcement reports of abuse or harm or any evidence to validate Carrie’s current fearful narrative which has been spread around the Tonasket community.

After an exhaustive investigation, the US~Observer has been unable to find one shred of evidence regarding Carrie’s disturbing and wild allegations of abuse, danger, and supposed “fear”. Our conclusion is that they are without basis and hold no merit at all. Previous actions, prior to her decision to pursue legal action, most certainly do not line up with her current narrative.

Based on allegedly false testimony given with no evidence, the Court issued an emergency Protection Order. The Okanogan Sheriff Department came out to Christopher’s home on March 18, 2022, and found all statements made by Carrie and her informants to be false as shown by their reports, including the obvious lack of abuse, weapons, or “threat” of any kind. The Sheriff’s Deputies were told to convert the visit to a Welfare Check by their superiors, which they did. According to OCS Incident #S22-01628 written by Deputy Covarrubias on March 18, 2022:

“During the entire incident Christopher never made any threats, implied or explicit, never yelled or acted irrationally. I did not observe any evidence inside or outside the home of packing or belongings that appeared to be out of place to indicate he was in the process of packing his belongings. The child [ARC] came and spoke with us [Sergeant Everett] and she appeared happy and unafraid. She smiled at Christopher regularly and appeared in good mental and physical health. The home was very clean and orderly. Footage of the child playing and the interior of the residence is visible in the BWC video.”

Furthermore, Deputy Covarrubias wrote: “When Sergeant Everett returned from speaking with the PA and administration he stated, ‘we’re turning this into a welfare check.’”

Sergeant Everett and the deputies found no areas or items of concern and they left!

This should have ended the matter, however the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office, under the leadership of Sheriff Tony Hawley, became, perhaps unwittingly, involved in this devious scheme, further compromising the impartiality and integrity of an embattled office. The US~Observer has reported extensively on the troubling problems that have plagued the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Office.

Judge Culp signed his 12 year “temporary” restraining order on his last day as judge; his nephew, Aaron Culp, is the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Undersheriff. Initiated by wild allegations of abuse, violent threat, and the absurd claims of cult activity, the Okanogan Superior Court issued orders which caused the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the Okanogan County Sheriff’s Department (OCS), and the Okanogan County Prosecuting Attorney to be weaponized against members of this community by out-of-state Attorneys and a vindictive ex-wife.

Christopher has not seen or communicated with his daughters since they were forcibly removed from loving homes, their family and friends, and handed over to a woman they barely knew – now over 4 months ago. Carrie has since reportedly fled the state and returned to Pennsylvania claiming, “that he [Christopher] will kill me or the children”. Sadly, it would seem Carrie’s initial threat against Christopher and the Hezeltines that “my legal counsel has advised me I can go to a battered women’s shelter, initiate legal action to seize the children, gain emergency custody, and then I can cross state lines with the children” was successful. According to one witness, “this was a carefully orchestrated criminal conspiracy, which involved many State Agencies, aiding and abetting Carrie in her plan, some knowing, some unknowing.”

We are informed there is currently an active criminal investigation into Carrie, her Attorneys, and all who facilitated this alleged fraud and conspiracy. Christopher is still facing State criminal charges in Okanogan Superior Court even though according to the Certified Sheriff Service Report, he was not even served with the Court orders he was allegedly interfering with until after his unlawful arrest. Christopher stated: “In the midst of this heartbreaking and unfortunate situation, I intend to see the story of an honest man with nothing to hide, whose life and daughters have been torn apart, bring reform and change within the departments and public servants who facilitated this. I hold no ill-will against those who were involved or have given false testimony about me, I genuinely have pity for those who were so easily manipulated and coerced by Carrie and her out-of-state Attorneys. I believe that the extreme tragedy of this will spark an awareness and healing within this community as to the serious consequences of unverified slander and hearsay. If this happened to me, it could happen to anyone.”

Editor’s Note: If you have information on any of the individuals in this case, please call the US~Observer at 541-474-7885 or send an email to editor@usobserver.com.