A transient man believed to be involved in the beating and robbery of a Vancouver man made a first appearance Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court.
Adrian Diaz Aguilar, 20, was in court to face allegations of first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and possession of a stolen vehicle in connection with the December incident.
The victim, 63-year-old Douglas Hodgson, suffered multiple rib, spine and facial fractures, deep head lacerations and brain bleeding, court records state. His current condition was not immediately available.
On Jan. 1, Vancouver police responded to a residence in the 600 block of Northeast 124th Avenue for an assault. Jason Hodgson told police he hadn’t heard from his father, Douglas Hodgson, for several days and was concerned about his welfare. When he went to check on him, he found the inside of the residence in disarray and blood on the floor, walls and items throughout the place, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
He found his father unconscious in a bedroom, and it was apparent he had been violently assaulted, the affidavit states.
Police say they recovered an object from the residence that they believe was used in the attack, but it was not identified in court records. They also found that Douglas Hodgson’s wallet had been stolen, court records said.
Based on phone records, police believe the incident occurred about 9:25 p.m. Dec. 29.
Four suspects, including Aguilar, have been identified, but their identities were withheld from court records due to the pending investigation. It’s unclear if anyone else has been arrested in connection with the case.
A stolen vehicle believed to have been used during the incident was recovered in early January, and a blunt object matching the one found at Douglas Hodgson’s residence was found inside, according to court documents.
Aguilar was arrested Jan. 24 on an unrelated felony warrant. He reportedly told police that he encountered one of the other suspects at an area motel and talked to him about needing a place to stay. That suspect told Aguilar he planned to rob someone and enlisted his help, promising that afterward he would help him find a place, the affidavit states.
That suspect drove the stolen vehicle from the motel to Douglas Hodgson’s residence with Aguilar and one other person. Aguilar stayed outside and acted as the lookout, he said, while the other two went inside. He said he didn’t know what happened inside the residence. They later ditched the car, and Aguilar was instructed to wipe it down, according to court records.
On Wednesday, Judge Derek Vanderwood set Aguilar’s bail at $200,000. He will be arraigned Feb. 7.
