Darren Adam Hayes, 57, of Lopez, was found guilty in the San Juan County Superior Court on Oct. 1 for burglary and malicious mischief following an incident at a Lopez inn in February.

Deputy Prosecutor Teresa Barnett represented the San Juan County Prosecutor and Public Defender Colleen Kenimond represented Hayes.

In a trial before a dozen local jurors that began on Sept. 24, Hayes was convicted of three counts of burglary — one for the inn itself and one count for each of the occupied rooms he entered. The jury also convicted Hayes of damages to the inn by breaking windows and soiling the carpets with blood, more than an estimated $1,500 worth of damage according to the probable cause report. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on two charges of unlawful imprisonment of guests who hid in a bathroom in one of the rooms.

According to the determination for probable cause, a deputy was called to investigate a disturbance on Feb. 18 at a Lopez Island inn, possibly involving a person armed with a weapon. The reporting party told dispatch he heard a man yelling and saying he had someone at gunpoint.

The deputy arrived at approximately 5 a.m. and was contacted by two witnesses who were fleeing the scene. The witnesses said an unknown man had forced his way into one of the rooms. A press release from Prosecuting Attorney Randall Gaylord said that Hayes had pulled the fire alarm prior to invading their room.

The witnesses described the suspect as a white man with dirt and blood on him. They said they were unsure of whether the suspect was still in the room. While awaiting backup, the deputy quickly surveyed the inn and saw bloody footprints.

When additional deputies arrived, they searched the common areas of the inn and heard from another guest who believed the suspect was in a different room. Upon entering the room, deputies found a shattered window and the area ransacked. They located Hayes lying on the floor inside of the closed closet.

Hayes was not a guest at the inn.

In Hayes’ left hand was a folding knife with the blade open. According to the deputies, he obeyed verbal commands and was arrested without further incident. The occupants of the room had barricaded themselves in the bathroom.

Using blood smears as evidence, deputies deduced that Hayes had entered through the front door of the inn, forced his way into room four, exited through the room’s bathroom window, then re-entered the inn into room six via a broken window.

Hayes was previously convicted of the following: possession of controlled substance paraphernalia in 1993 and 1999; indecent exposure in 1994; petty retail theft in 1996; possession of a controlled substance in 1997; grand theft in 1998; possession of a controlled narcotic substance in 1999; possessing a hypodermic needle in 2005; driving under the influence and possession of methamphetamine in 2005; and two no-contact order violations in 2011.