One of five people involved in a May 2018 armed home-invasion robbery in Camas was sentenced Wednesday to 6 1/2 years in prison.
Jamil R. Timpke Rhoades, 19, pleaded guilty Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court to first-degree burglary, first-degree robbery and third-degree assault. He was then sentenced by Judge Scott Collier.
Camas police responded about 2:45 a.m. May 12 to a residence in the 3900 block of Northeast Tacoma Court for a reported robbery. Officers spoke with the home’s resident, Jacob Pete, then 19, and house guest, Jeremiah Jefferson, then 18, who both said they were robbed at gunpoint and assaulted, according to affidavits of probable cause.
Pete said he invited Raelyn G. Domingo — whom he had never met in person but was communicating with over social media for several weeks — over to his house. Domingo arrived at his residence around 1 a.m. When Pete opened the door, three men armed with handguns pushed their way inside and ordered him and Jefferson to the floor, the affidavits state.
The three armed assailants wore black clothing with their faces partially covered, but Pete and Jefferson recognized two of the men as Timpke Rhoades and Keonte D. Scott. The third man was Evan B. Barajas, according to court records.
The assailants demanded to know where Pete’s cash was, and Scott repeatedly struck him in the face, according to court documents. After no cash was found, Pete and Jefferson were ordered to empty their pockets.
They took Pete’s cellphone, $40 in cash, a debit card, his Washington driver’s license and car key, as well as Jefferson’s cellphone and wallet, which contained his Washington identification, a debit card and about $350 in cash, according to the affidavits. Pete’s gaming console, controllers and clothing — including designer belts and shoes — and Jefferson’s backpack, which contained two cameras, were also taken, the affidavits said.
During the incident, Timpke Rhoades fired one round from his handgun into the ceiling of the living room, according to the affidavits. The assailants then fled.
A neighbor’s surveillance video captured a silver four-door sedan driven by Amanda Louise Seekins dropping off three males and a female near Pete’s residence shortly after 1 a.m., according to the affidavits. Four people are seen walking inside while the car drives away.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Tactical Detective Unit and Vancouver Police Department Neighborhood Response Team assisted Camas police detectives in locating and arresting the suspects.
Barajas, 20, was sentenced in September to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to the same charges as Timpke Rhoades. Domingo, 15, and Seekins, 17, were previously sentenced to 15 to 36 weeks in a juvenile facility.
Scott, 20, was sentenced last month to eight years in prison on the same charges as Timpke Rhoades and Barajas.
Senior Deputy Prosecutor James Smith said Wednesday that “this was a crime that, I think, was very ill thought out.”
Jon McMullen, Timpke Rhoades’ defense attorney, said his client had fired the shot to break up a fight during the robbery and asked for a sentence closer to more than 5 1/2 years. McMullen cited several people, including one of the victims, who knew Timpke Rhoades as affable.
Timpke Rhoades told Collier he wanted to “sincerely apologize” to the victims and his own family.
“This is not a reflection of who I really am,” he said. “I was raised with love and to be respectful of others.”
