Joshua Carl Vanderwel, Assault, Washington 2015

A 26-year-old man who terrorized his girlfriend and their two small children on Tulalip Tribal land has been sentenced to nearly six years in prison for a series of brutal assaults and threats. Joshua Carl Vanderwel pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation, felony harassment, and assault in the third degree in December 2015.

According to records filed in the case, during the week of September 20, 2014, Vanderwel repeatedly assaulted and threatened his girlfriend, strangling her, hitting her with a metal pipe, throwing knives and lamps at her, and threatening to kill her and burn the house down with her small children inside. Vanderwel kept the woman captive in the home, refusing to let her use the phone or go to work.

Vanderwel was arrested by Tulalip Tribal Police in September 2014, and the case was originally prosecuted as part of a pilot project authorized by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The Tulalip Tribes of Washington is one of the first Tribes in the nation to exercise special criminal jurisdiction over certain domestic violence crimes, regardless of the defendant’s Indian or non-Indian status.

The case was investigated by the Tulalip Tribal Police, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ye-Ting Woo and Rebecca Cohen and by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sharon Jones Hayden. Hayden is a Tulalip Tribal Prosecutor specially designated to prosecute cases in federal court.

At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert S. Lasnik recommended that Vanderwel undergo intensive drug treatment for his methamphetamine addiction while incarcerated and on supervised release. The judge noted that Vanderwel’s girlfriend suffered an “extended period of hell on earth…” with Vanderwel assaulting her, “threatening to push her off a cliff and slash her throat.”

Vanderwel was sentenced to 70 months in prison and three years of supervised release. The case serves as a stark reminder of the devastating impact of domestic violence and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.

The court records reveal that Vanderwel’s girlfriend was subjected to a prolonged period of abuse, including physical and emotional trauma. The case highlights the need for continued support and resources for victims of domestic violence and their families.

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