Camas woman pleads guilty to pepper spraying guard

A Camas woman was sentenced Thursday to 180 days of confinement for pepper spraying a security guard in the face when the guard tried to stop her from shoplifting April 3 at Vancouver’s Craft Warehouse.

In an agreement with prosecutors, Angelica E. Perez, 23, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court on Thursday to second-degree robbery. In exchange, Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Duncan dismissed a charge of first-degree robbery. Perez’s attorney, Jeff Barrar, assisted in the plea negotiations.

Judge John Nichols also ordered Perez to complete 12 months of probation and to pay restitution in an amount to be determined.

Duncan’s 180 days of confinement includes 159 days in the Clark County Jail, 129 days of which Perez has already served, and 21 days of electronic home confinement.

Perez entered the store sometime before 2 p.m. April 3, placed merchandise in her pockets and attempted to leave without paying for the items, according to court records.

When two security officers, Sherilyn Eaton and Sheila Moon, attempted to stop Perez, she reportedly began swinging her arms and screaming. While Eaton attempted to handcuff her, Perez produced a canister of pepper spray and sprayed it in Eaton’s face, court records say. She was then taken into custody.

Perez’s sentence runs concurrent with an identical sentence for a residential burglary, which took place Jan. 15 in Vancouver’s Marrion neighborhood. She also pleaded guilty to that burglary Thursday.