Felon wanted for killing Eatonville man over argument about trailer is arrested
A felon wanted for fatally shooting an acquaintance after arguing about where the victim could park his Eatonville trailer was arrested in East Pierce County early Thursday, according to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department.
Hobert Wayne Clark, 25, was taken into custody after being spotted in a vehicle.
Deputies have been searching for him since Sunday when Clark allegedly shot and killed 50-year-old Robert Warner.
Prosecutors have charged Clark with two counts of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, second-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with the Eatonville incident.
He is expected to be arraigned Friday.
Charging papers give this account:
Since being released from prison June 23, Clark has acted as landlord of his parent’s two-acre parcel in the 4600 block of 350th Street East.
One of his friends lives on the property to oversee the people living there.
Days before the homicide, Warner, his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s son made an arrangement with Clark’s friend to temporarily park on the property.
Clark did not like that and told them they had to leave.
Warner moved his trailer to a nearby piece of property not owned by Clark’s parents.
“The defendant visited the property again and was still angry and said they had to leave that property as well,” according to charging documents.
Warner and his girlfriend began looking for a new place to park their trailer.
After three days, Clark returned and was infuriated to see they were still on the neighboring property.
He retrieved a shotgun from his motorcycle and said something to the effect of, “They got to be taught a lesson,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
As Clark and his friend walked to the neighboring property, Clark allegedly fired a shot near his friend.
His friend, afraid, stopped walking.
Within seconds, the son of Warner’s girlfriend spotted Clark running toward them holding a shotgun. Clark asked if they thought it was a game and pointed the shotgun at Warner’s girlfriend’s son.
Warner then came out of the trailer and tackled Clark.
He was shot in the chest with the shotgun during the struggle and died at the scene.
Clark fled on a motorcycle before deputies arrived about 5:15 p.m.
Deputies found three shotgun shell casings.
Clark had a state Department of Corrections warrant for escape from community custody.
He was sentenced in December to 17 months in prison after being convicted of third-degree assault and bail jumping for beating his girlfriend with his fists and a wooden coat hanger.
The victim suffered fractured cheek bones in the assault, which she said took place after he accused her of cheating on him.
Clark has prior convictions for reckless endangerment, attempting to elude, third-degree malicious mischief, possessing a stolen vehicle and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
This story was originally published August 1, 2019 at 9:25 AM.
