Vancouver man pleads not guilty in strangling case

A Vancouver man pleaded not guilty Thursday in Clark County Superior Court to allegations that he tried to strangle his girlfriend to death.

Jo Rodriquez Reynosa, 31, was formally charged with attempted second-degree domestic violence murder during an arraignment hearing.

Reynosa stands accused of assaulting 25-year-old Demi Bolger at the Candlewood Suites in Vancouver on April 22.

Bolger told police she found knives and a scalpel in the hotel room she was sharing with Reynosa. The knives are not alleged to have been used in the attack in that room. Instead, Reynosa strangled Bolger twice; she was able to escape with the help of hotel employees, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in the case.

Bolger told his victim that “demons were telling him to kill her and her family,” and “he was going to ‘listen to the demons,’ ” according to the affidavit.

Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke set a trial date of Sept. 10.