January 24, 2014 - 3:12 PM
VANCOUVER - A freelance journalist from B.C. charged in the United States after allegedly threatening to kill her junior hockey player boyfriend has pleaded not guilty to felony harassment.
Twenty-five-year-old Tieja MacLaughlin appeared in court in Kennewick, Wash., on Friday, and prosecuting attorney Brenda Siefken says the woman's bail was reduced from $50,000 to $10,000 by a judge.
An affidavit filed by Siefken alleges that MacLaughlin, who has worked for several media outlets in Kelowna, had been dating 19-year-old Tri-City Americans player Jackson Playfair.
The court document alleges MacLaughlin was planning to visit Playfair in Kennewick last weekend when he told her over the phone that he had "cheated" on her.
The document says MacLaughlin threatened Playfair, and that she drove across the border to find him, prompting the hockey player to call the police.
None of the allegations have been tested in court, and police documents indicate MacLaughlin denied threatening to kill Playfair.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014