Whitefish Man Accused of Attacking, Restraining Woman

A Whitefish man accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend, restraining her with duct tape in a basement and threatening to kill her pleaded not guilty to a felony count of kidnapping, another for strangulation of a partner or family member and a third of assault with a weapon.

Dylan Thomas Baker, 47, entered the pleas during a Dec. 20 arraignment hearing in Flathead County District Court before Judge Amy Eddy.

Baker was booked in Flathead County Detention Center on Dec. 14 and released with GPS monitoring on Dec. 16 after posting a $100,000 bond.

According to charging documents, the Whitefish Police Department received a report on Dec. 13 after 10 p.m. of a female who appeared at a residence on Monegan Road in Whitefish who was “screaming and afraid someone was looking for her.”

Officers arrived to find a “highly distraught” woman with bruises on her face, duct tape sticking to her hair and wrists, missing her pants and shoes, and bleeding from her knees and feet. The victim told officers she’d been assaulted and restrained by Baker who was likely chasing her with a Polaris side-by-side.

Court records state the woman told officers she’d recently broken off a relationship with Baker and was moving out of his house when Baker “went nuts.” He began striking her and strangling her until she lost consciousness before taking her to the basement and binding her face, head, hands, feet and legs together with duct tape. Baker allegedly said “she was going to die.” When he left the room – likely to get more supplies – she wriggled out of her boots and pants, escaped the basement and ran to the nearest neighbor’s house, according to court records

In an interview with the Beacon, the reporting party, who asked not to be identified, described hearing someone yelling for help on the night of the incident. They opened the door to find a woman not wearing pants or shoes with her face, neck, shoulders and hands wrapped in duct tape.

“She was super terrified that he was out there looking for her,” the person said. “She never caught her breath … I distinctly remember her saying ‘No cops, he’ll know I’m here, he can’t know I’m here.’”

While at the scene, an officer observed a side-by-side driving on Monegan Road and sheriff’s deputies later traced a side-by-side behind a business with fresh footprints leading to Baker’s residence.

Officers located Baker, who told them he had been home all night and had no knowledge of the report. After searching the residence, records state law enforcement found duct tape matching the tape found on the woman as well as what appeared to be her pants, boots and belt in the basement and wet boots with tread matching the footprints in the snow.

According to court documents, Baker has a previous charge of aggravated assault filed in 1999 in Flathead County District Court.

Baker faces a maximum sentence of 27 years in the Montana State Prison and/or a maximum fine of $150,000 between all three charges.