A Butte man with a lengthy criminal history has been charged with attempted sexual intercourse without consent and aggravated assault after he attacked an employee at a Lakeside motel before being chased off by the woman’s husband.
Jeffrey Allen Westfall, 53, arrived at a locked door at a Lakeside motel just after midnight on Aug. 23 and a woman there let him in, assuming he wanted to rent a room, according to court documents. Instead, Westfall allegedly punched the woman in the eye and attempted to sexually assault her. The woman screamed for her husband, who emerged from a nearby bedroom to find Westfall standing over his wife and striking her in the face. The victim’s husband kicked Westfall in the back and the two men briefly scuffled before Westfall fled the motel. The entire incident was captured on video by the motel’s surveillance cameras.
Law enforcement began to put together information on a suspect later on Aug. 23 when they were called back to the motel because a woman was refusing to leave her room. That woman was later identified as Westfall’s girlfriend, and when questioned by deputies from the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office she said Westfall left early that morning in a silver Audi, the same car seen leaving the scene of the assault.
As deputies dug into their suspect’s record, they discovered Westfall is a Level 3 sex offender — classifying him as a sexually violent predator — currently on probation in Butte. A detective from Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement indicated to Flathead County deputies that Westfall is also a suspect in a burglary and sexual assault case there. The Montana Standard reported Westfall was arrested on May 4 at Big Sky Senior Living in Butte after he was “wandering into rooms and allegedly asked one resident if she wanted a massage.”
Westfall was formally charged in Flathead County District Court on Aug. 26 and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said that while Westfall is not currently in custody, his office is aware of his location.
According to the filing, Westfall has been convicted of 13 felonies, including rape, attempted rape, burglary and failure to register as a sex offender. His listing on the Montana sex offender registry notes a 1987 rape conviction in Everett, Washington.
If Westfall is convicted of the two charges against him in Flathead County, he could face up to 40 years in prison and fines of up to $100,000.