Transient woman accused in robbery, assault

A transient woman who allegedly brandished a hammer when she tried to snatch another woman’s purse in Vancouver’s Rose Village neighborhood appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court.

Megan Koethe, 20, made a first appearance on suspicion of first-degree robbery and first-degree attempted assault in connection with the Tuesday incident.

The victim, Giselle Torres, was in the area of East 33rd and K streets at about 5:20 p.m. when Koethe attacked her with a hammer and attempted to rob her, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court. Torres suffered a swollen lip.

Koethe managed to steal some of Torres’ belongings and attempted to flee, but was detained by several bystanders, the affidavit said.

When bystander Carson Cornett attempted to detain Koethe, she swung the hammer at him. Cornett blocked the blow and disarmed her, court records said.

During an interview with police, Koethe admitted to robbing Torres and said she thought “there was something nice” in the victim’s purse, according to court documents.

On Thursday, Koethe appeared in a wheelchair and rambled and yelled profanities. Judge Daniel Stahnke set Koethe’s bail at $150,000, court records show. She will be arraigned Dec. 10.

Columbian staff writer Emily Gillespie contributed to this report.