A Vancouver man was sentenced Friday to 366 days in prison for a Sept. 18 assault in the Rose Village neighborhood.
Freddie Gonzales Jr., 33, was initially arrested last fall on suspicion of second-degree attempted murder and accused of shooting Rose Village resident Matthew Boorujy in the face on the front porch of Boorujy’s home.
However, prosecutors later charged him with second-degree assault, because they were uncertain whether Boorujy’s head abrasion resulted from a bullet or a pistol whip.
“It was not clear to us whether it was a wound from a bullet or something such as being hit with the butt of a gun,” said Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Dan Gasperino.
In an agreement with prosecutors, Gonzales pleaded guilty Friday to second-degree assault. In exchange, Gasperino dropped a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Gonzales was accused of assaulting Boorujy in the face. Boorujy had an abrasion right above his eye, according to court records. Gonzales then ran away.
Nine days later, the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT team apprehended him following a several-hour standoff at a home in the 2900 block of V Street.
Vancouver defense attorney Diane Grecco said Gonzales had “a self-defense claim,” but she didn’t elaborate. She said she was filling in for her partner, Sean Downs, and was not as familiar with the case as Downs.
But on Friday, Gonzales apologized for the incident.
He said he plans to finish his GED in prison.
“Other than that, I just want to get this behind me,” he said. “I’m sorry for what happened.”
In addition to his prison term, Gonzales is required to serve 18 months of probation, forfeit his handgun and participate in any recommended treatment for substance abuse, mental health issues and anger management. Judge Scott Collier also barred him from having any contact with the victim for a period of 10 years.
