A Vancouver man was sentenced last month to more than eight years in prison in two cases, including one in which he stole a vehicle with a baby inside.
Mario D. Andrews, 40, pleaded guilty Sept. 11 in Clark County Superior Court to theft of a motor vehicle and unlawful imprisonment in one case and failure to register as a sex offender in another. He was sentenced to 51 months in prison in the first case and 49 months in the second, with the sentences to run consecutively, court records show.
A third case, charging him with possession of a stolen vehicle and attempt to elude police, was dismissed as a part of the plea agreement, court records show.
Court records state prosecutors sought an exceptional sentence because of his recent recidivism and excessive criminal history. A prosecutor previously said Andrews was released from prison less than a month prior to the incidents.
Clark County sheriff’s deputies responded shortly before 8 a.m. April 8 to reports of a kidnapping and vehicle theft at Happy Juice in the parking lot of 1501 N.E. 99th St.
The owner of Happy Juice, John Ross, called 911 to report a man stole his Audi Q3 with his newborn son inside, according to a probable cause affidavit. The suspect drove away south on Highway 99.
Officers from multiple agencies responded to the area to search for the missing child. Shortly after, a sheriff’s sergeant found the vehicle farther south on Highway 99 with only the baby inside, court records state.
The baby did not appear to be injured, and he was returned to his parents after a medical check, according to the sheriff’s office.
Ross said he was in the process of opening Happy Juice for the day when he saw a man looking in the windows of his car. The man, later identified by police as Andrews, opened the door of Ross’ car, and Ross said he shouted at him that his son was inside. As Ross ran toward his car, he said Andrews got inside and drove away, according to the affidavit.
Deputies obtained surveillance video from a nearby business, which showed Andrews cross the street from a drugstore and approach Ross’ car, the affidavit states.
At 11:11 a.m., deputies said Ross contacted them to report Andrews was using Ross’ bank card at gas stations, a fast-food restaurant and, later, at stores at the Vancouver Mall, court records state.
Deputies, along with Vancouver police, responded to the mall. While officers were searching the mall, Ross called to tell them he had detained Andrews on the second floor of a department store. They found the men and determined the suspect was wearing the same clothes as the man seen stealing Ross’ car, according to court records.
After investigators detained Andrews, he reportedly declined to speak with them. At that time, Andrews was also arrested in connection with a Vancouver police investigation. Officers in that case said on April 1, they tried to stop Andrews while he was driving a different stolen Audi. Officers said Andrews sped away from the traffic stop, a probable cause affidavit states.
