Man Charged with Breaking Door at Lolo Hot Springs

34 year-old Casey Buzzard of Kalispell was in the Missoula County Jail on Monday, charged with three felonies after he allegedly became intoxicated at Lolo Hot Springs Resort, broke down the door to the bar and assaulted an employee at the resort.

At his appearance in Missoula Justice Court on Monday, Deputy Missoula County Attorney Carrie Garber asked Judge Alex Beal to hold Buzzard on $50,000 bond.

“The reason for that is based primarily on the facts of this particular case, which are pretty egregious,” said Garber. “On the 13th, a little before midnight, employees of the Lolo Hot Springs Resort called 911 because the defendant, in a very highly intoxicated state, broke the door to their closed bar, and assaulted one of the employees by hitting that person with a chunk of wood from the door frame that he had just broken.”

Garber described what Missoula County Sheriff’s Deputies found when they responded to the resort.

“The Sheriff's Office responded and confirmed the different reports from the employees,” she said. “The defendant was so intoxicated at the time, your honor, that he didn’t even realize that he was in Missoula. He thought that he was in Kalispell and the injured employee had dried blood caked all over his face.”

Garber attempted to justify the $50,000 bond amount to Judge Beal.

“It should be noted that as he was breaking in, the employees clearly advised him repeatedly that the bar was closed, but he kept coming,” she said. “He didn't listen to anybody, and we would hate to see this happen to any other business based upon what occurred in this particular instance.”

Buzzard’s Missoula attorney, Bryan Tipp, reminded Judge Beal that Buzzard had no criminal history, was employed in Kalispell, and would abide by any court restrictions.

Judge Beal released Buzzard on his own recognizance with this warning.

“You have, in fact, no prior criminal history, and given that, I don't think that monetary bond is required, as there is no reason to suggest that you will not appear for court,” said Judge Beal. “That being said, if I get notice that you have not enrolled in the alcohol monitoring program, or if I, or any other court gets notice that there are violations of those conditions, given the specifics here, you should expect that a rather significant warrant would issued. Do you understand all that?"

Buzzard agreed to the conditions and was released on his own recognizance.

It is not known how badly the Lolo Hot Springs employee was injured when Buzzard struck him with a piece of wood from the broken door.