Former Atascadero mayoral candidate arrested

January 16, 2016

Following a nearly four-hour standoff on Friday, police arrested a former Atascadero mayoral candidate. Charles Scovell, 37, ran for mayor in 2014.

In response to a call that a man was hitting a women with a beer bottle, police went to a home on El Camino Real between Carrizo Road and Via Viento. When officers arrived, Scovell went into the home with his mother while the alleged victim remained outside.

 

Officers attempted to talk Scovell, who was facing previous charges of DUI and domestic violence, from his home and eventually cut off the power. Officers also closed multiple roads near the home during the standoff.

Scovell then contacted his attorney, Ilan Funke-Bilu, who called law enforcement. Officers originally said they just wanted to make sure Scovell’s mother was ok, then they would leave.

“The mother did not want to come out,” Funke-Bilu said. “She was perfectly safe. She was upset that they cut off the power.”

After officers informed Funke-Bilu that they planned to leave after verifying Scovell’s mother was ok, Funke-Bilu went to the scene to talk to his client, Funke-Bilu said. However, when Funke-Bilu arrived officers told him they were working on getting a Ramey warrant to allow them to enter the home and arrest Scovell.

Funke-Bilu then called his client and told him of the officers plans to arrest him and asked Scovell to surrender.

“Scovell left the home almost immediately,” Funke-Bilu said.

Officers arrested Scovell and booked him into the San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant, assault with a deadly weapon and violation of a protection order. He has since been released.