A man accused in multiple robberies — some he committed with an alleged accomplice and others on his own — was sentenced Wednesday to more than four years in prison.
Andrew J. Pablo, 26, a transient, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of third-degree assault. He entered an “in re Barr” plea to the assault charge, 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.
Pablo was accused of robbing a Vancouver hotel and two convenience stores between May 26 and May 30.
An alleged accomplice in some of the robberies, Jarid R. Hyde, 28, also a transient, is set to change his plea next week, court records show.
The crime spree started in the early morning hours of May 26 at the Shell gas station, 16320 S.E. Cascade Park Drive. An employee said two men — one of whom was armed — entered the store. One of the men, later identified as Pablo, began punching him in the head, according to an affidavit of probable cause. The assailants grabbed money and deposit envelopes from the register and left the business, the affidavit states.
Hours later, a clerk at E-Z Mart, 9511 N.E. 76th St., was robbed at gunpoint by two men shortly after opening the store. The men approached the counter, and one, later identified as Pablo, demanded that she open the drawer and give them all the money. They took about $300, according to a separate affidavit of probable cause.
Then on May 30, Pablo robbed the Comfort Suites at 4714 N.E. 94th Ave., according to another probable cause affidavit. A clerk said Pablo walked into the lobby, jumped over the counter and pushed her against the wall while he took money from the register. He was later identified in a photo lineup, the affidavit said.
On Wednesday, Pablo told the judge that he “can’t wait to change” and apologized for his actions.
Judge Bernard Veljacic followed the attorneys’ previously agreed-upon recommendation of 57 months in prison. He was given credit for 27 days in custody.
