Three teenagers are suspected of robbery and assault for an alleged car chase that ended in the beatings of multiple victims.
Malijah M. Alvarez and Sanguinette E. Wigner, both 18, were arrested on suspicion of three counts of second-degree assault and three counts of second-degree robbery.
A third suspect, 17-year-old Devonte J. Stephens, faces similar allegations in Clark County Juvenile Court. He appeared in court Tuesday morning and was appointed a defense attorney.
Clark County Superior Court Judge Daniel Stahnke set Alvarez’s bail at $20,000 during an initial appearance hearing on Tuesday. Wigner’s bail was set at $25,000. The teenagers are set to be arraigned on Oct. 5.
The probable cause affidavit is the same in all three of the suspects’ cases. According to the affidavit, a group of three was chased by two or more vehicles on the morning of Sept. 12 through Salmon Creek, Felida and south Ridgefield.
During the chase, someone in one of the suspect vehicles pointed a gun at the victims, according to the affidavit.
The victims’ vehicle broke down and they fled on foot. One of the victims was caught and then “accosted and assaulted … he sustained injuries to his person, including a bloody nose. Both of the other victims were punched and kicked so hard it caused them to vomit,” the affidavit says.
The assailants also stole items from the victims, according to the affidavit.
Cars sped off when Clark County deputies arrived on the scene. The allegations do not say how deputies were called to the undisclosed location. Deputies were able to pull over one of the suspect vehicles and questioned Alvarez, who’d been driving. He admitted that the assault took place but denied taking part in it, according to the affidavit.
Halloween masks were found in the vehicle Alvarez was driving; more masks were found at scene of the assault, according to the affidavit.
Alvarez and two others, whose names were redacted in court documents, successfully fled deputies that night.
A victim identified Wigner and Stephens through a photo lineup of suspects provided by deputies. The victim didn’t recognize Alvarez, corroborating Alvarez’s statement that he stayed in the car during the alleged assault.
Court records show that the three suspects were arrested on Monday.
Wigner told investigators following his arrest that he and Stephens were in the same car, and the gun used to allegedly threaten the victims was a replica handgun, according to the affidavit.
