Man accused of list of crimes held on $150,000 bail

An Oak Harbor man is accused of trying to molest a little girl, beating his wife and abusing a dog.

An Oak Harbor man is accused of trying to molest and exposing himself to a little girl, beating and threatening to kill his wife, and abusing a dog, according to court documents.

On Nov. 3, Island County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Cliff set bail for 53-year-old Edward C. Barrera at $150,000. A police report indicated that he might be at risk of flight because he’s in the country on a work visa.

Prosecutors charged Barrera in Island County Superior Court Nov. 5 with attempted child molestation in the first degree, assault in the second degree with sexual motivation, assault in the second degree with a deadly weapon, animal cruelty in the second degree, indecent exposure and assault in the fourth degree.

All the alleged charges, except the animal cruelty and indecent exposure, are considered domestic-violence related.

An Oak Harbor woman reported to police last month that her 10-year-old daughter disclosed that Barrera, her stepfather, had been exposing himself and masturbating in front of her when she was alone, according to a police report.

The girl said Barrera grabbed her on two occasions and tried to force her to touch his genitals, but she resisted, the report states.

Barrera’s wife reported that he had repeatedly assaulted her over the last couple of years when she refused to have sex or after he accused her of cheating on him, the reports states. The woman provided the officer with various photos of herself with injuries from the assaults.

The woman described an incident in which Barrera held a sword to her throat and threatened to kill her if she left him, the report states.

Barrera is also accused of repeatedly kicking and hitting the family’s German shepherd, the report states.