A man involved in an evening shooting outside Vancouver’s Washington Elementary School and a separate robbery was sentenced Friday in Clark County Superior Court to 4.5 years in prison.
Angelo Paga, 20, entered an “in re Barr” plea to first-degree rendering criminal assistance in the shooting, which allows a defendant to plead guilty to a lesser related charge he didn’t commit in order to avoid conviction for a greater offense. He also entered an Alford or Newton plea to first-degree robbery and theft of a firearm, acknowledging that a jury could find him guilty of those crimes but not admitting to guilt.
A co-defendant in the shooting, 16-year-old Quandre O’Neal, previously pleaded guilty in juvenile court to first-degree assault with a firearm enhancement and was committed to a juvenile institution until his 21st birthday, Deputy Prosecutor Patrick Robinson said in a Friday interview.
Another juvenile, 17-year-old Klay Mantanona, is still facing charges in both cases.
At about 5:40 p.m. June 13, a physical and verbal fight broke out between two groups who met up at the school. Mantanona allegedly pulled out a 9 mm handgun, pointed it at the opposing group of juveniles, and fired multiple shots, according to a probable cause affidavit. No one was injured.
Mantanona, O’Neal and Paga, who were all together, fled to Paga’s vehicle and sped away. Police later stopped them at Fruit Valley Road and West Fourth Plain Boulevard, the affidavit said. Police said they found Paga to be in possession of an illegal set of brass knuckles.
Mantanona and Paga both told police that Mantanona fired the weapon at the other group. School video surveillance showed Mantanona was the shooter, court records said.
In the robbery case, 26-year-old Michael Miller was attacked by several people June 5 at Marine Park, 4500 S.E. Columbia Way. He was found lying face-down in a pool of blood, unable to communicate and suffering from severe head and facial injuries, according to a separate probable cause affidavit. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Police learned Paga, Mantanona and Jacob Johnson were involved in a separate altercation with Miller earlier that day. Miller had allegedly brandished a firearm at the group but later apologized and offered to have a beer with them at the park to make amends, the affidavit said. They all agreed and met Miller at the park.
There, they allegedly got into another fight with Miller, who was knocked unconscious and kicked numerous times, court records said.
The males reportedly went through his pockets and took his cellphone, wallet and phone case. They also allegedly ransacked Miller’s vehicle and stole a 9 mm handgun, which police later recovered, according to court documents.
Paga drove the group away from the scene, the affidavit said. He denied attacking Miller.
Johnson previously pleaded guilty in Superior Court to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to about 34.5 months, Robinson said Friday.
Paga will also serve 18 months’ community custody and was ordered not to have contact with the other co-defendants or victims. He was given credit for 144 days in custody.
