BLAINE - A man already convicted of manslaughter is being sought after he allegedly threatened and tried to harm his current girlfriend, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office.
Steven Earl Sivo, 32, has served a prison sentence for striking and killing Melvin Bass, 42, from behind with a baseball bat in August 2000.
He's now sought on suspicion of several charges, including assault, harassment and reckless endangerment. The incidents occurred over the last two weeks and involve his 22-year-old girlfriend. Among the accusations is that he made intimidating threats and threw a knife at her, according to the sheriff's office.
In another incident on Aug. 22, Sivo was driving with his girlfriend in the passenger seat of his car. He was angry with the woman and wouldn't let her out of the vehicle, according to the sheriff's office. He accelerated to 90 to 95 mph on Interstate 5 near Birch Bay-Lynden Road and suddenly applied the emergency brake, causing the vehicle to spin out onto the median strip.
Sivo pleaded guilty to vehicular assault after using the same technique in 2010 while angry with a former girlfriend. In that instance, he caused the vehicle to roll; the crash broke the woman's back and left her with permanent injuries, according to the sheriff's office.
For the death of Bass, Sivo originally was convicted of first-degree murder. But an appeals court threw out that conviction, citing multiple errors. The court also noted there was substantial evidence that Sivo hit Bass in defense of another man with whom Bass was arguing at a party in Peaceful Valley, and that Sivo had no intention of killing the man.
After the appeals court ruling, Sivo pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter instead; he received a nine-year prison sentence.
Sivo is also wanted by the state Department of Corrections for violating the terms of his release.
"Sivo continues to demonstrate a pattern of reckless disregard for human life, domestic violence and represents a threat to the community," Sheriff Bill Elfo said. "He is aware that law enforcement is seeking to arrest him and has thus far evaded our efforts."
Sivo is 5-foot-9 and 200 pounds, with hazel eyes and brown hair. He might be driving a stolen 2003 Subaru Legacy with Washington license plate AEZ 9685.
Anyone with information about Sivo's whereabouts should call 911 immediately. Sivo should be considered dangerous and contact with him should be avoided, Elfo said.
