A Battle Ground man is accused of stalking his former girlfriend and shooting into her mother’s central Vancouver house Thursday night.
Christopher Rantila, 48, appeared Friday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of drive-by shooting, stalking and driving under the influence.
Judge Suzan Clark set his bail at $100,000 and ordered he be subject to electronic monitoring and an alcohol monitor if he is released. He is scheduled to be arraigned June 28.
Vancouver police responded at 10:37 p.m. to the 2300 block of Northeast 77th Avenue for reports of a possible bullet hole in someone’s house. Officers arrived to find a Mazda Tribute in the middle of the road and two women standing near it, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The Mazda started to drive away as an officer drove up behind it with emergency lights activated. Another officer pulled in front of the Mazda, and officers blocked the SUV from both sides. The driver, identified as Rantila, eventually exited the Mazda, and officers detained him, court records state.
Police said they could smell the odor of alcohol coming from Rantila, and they spotted a beer can in his SUV. A preliminary breath test indicated Rantila had a blood-alcohol content of 0.096, according to the affidavit. In Washington, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 is considered evidence of drunken driving.
One of the women told officers she previously dated Rantila, and they have two children together. She said he had been texting and calling her repeatedly, despite her telling him not to contact her. She said the day before he called her 11 times. He also came to her work and waited outside for more than an hour for her to leave, the affidavit states.
She told officers she took multiple guns away from Rantila last year because she feared for her safety. On a danger assessment, Rantila scored a 24 on a scale of 1 to 18, according to the affidavit.
The woman reported Thursday night she saw a car go by that she thought was Rantila’s. As it passed, she said she saw it stop before she heard a pop. It drove a little farther before she heard a second pop. Then, she said the vehicle drove out of sight, according to court records.
Afterward, she said Rantila called her and asked if she was all right. While on the phone with him, she went outside and approached the Mazda. She said she saw Rantila inside alone, the affidavit states.
Officers said she told them she opened the passenger door, and Rantila covered something on the seat with a piece of paper, court records say.
The woman’s 71-year-old mother, who lives across the street from her, came outside. She also reported hearing a pop, followed by another. She said she went into her kitchen to see what the noise was about, and she discovered a hole in the wall. She and her 91-year-old mother were inside at the time, according to the affidavit.
