A 24-year-old man under the supervision of the Department of Corrections and who is a known gang member was arrested for his alleged involvement in a strong-arm robbery.
Osvaldo Garcia Arriola made a first appearance Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on allegations of assault, robbery, burglary and theft, all in the first degree, according to court records.
Judge Scott Collier set bail in the case at $150,000. Garcia Arriola is scheduled to be arraigned April 18.
A probable cause affidavit filed in the case says Garcia Arriola is a Sureno gang member.
Vancouver police officers were dispatched the night of Feb. 28 to an apartment in the Landover-Sharmel neighborhood for a report of an armed robbery that just happened, according to the affidavit. Officers interviewed four victims there.
One of the victims told police he heard a knock at the front door around 11 p.m. His mother answered, and four men forced their way inside, according to the affidavit.
“At least two of the suspects were holding semi-automatic handguns and pointed them directly at (the victims) inside the apartment, demanding money and other items,” the affidavit says.
The group entered a bedroom and took more than $5,000 before exiting the home and speeding away in a vehicle, according to the affidavit.
One of the victims told police he knew the robbers from “previous encounters” but only knew their nicknames, one of which was “Tweety,” the affidavit says. He described Tweety as a man with a thin build and numerous tattoos who associates with gang members. The victim later fingered Garcia Arriola as Tweety in a photo lay-down.
A second victim told police she retreated to her room with her son when the robbers entered the apartment. She said the robbers were wearing hooded sweatshirts and bandanas partially covering their faces, according to the affidavit.
Another victim said she stayed on her bed with her child as the group rummaged through the room, according to the affidavit.
In addition to Garcia Arriola, court records identify a second suspect but do not indicate if that person has been arrested or charged. That suspect told police the purpose of the robbery was to steal drugs, according to the affidavit.
