Man accused of robbery after marijuana sale goes wrong

A Battle Ground man is accused of robbing a 22-year-old man who was selling marijuana in the parking lot of the Brush Prairie WinCo Foods.

Mario Gabrial Gonzales, 18, appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

Judge John Nichols held him in lieu of $100,000 bail and appointed Vancouver attorney Bob Vukanovich to defend him. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge Sept. 5.

According to court records:

Gonzales and two other people met the victim Friday in the grocery store’s parking lot, 11310 N.E. 119th St. While the other two talked with the victim inside his vehicle, Gonzalez allegedly forced open the driver’s side door and struck the victim in the face several times. He yanked a backpack containing two ounces of marijuana from the victim.

The two other people took the victim’s cellphone, $200 to $300 and the keys to the victim’s vehicle and residence. Then, all three jumped in a dark red sport utility vehicle driven by a fourth person and fled the scene.

The victim had a laceration to his right eyebrow and nose and a possible concussion, court records say.