A man suspected in a February 2023 attempted carjacking at a Hazel Dell gas station was arrested late last month, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday.
Geoffrey Boal, 35, is facing charges of first-degree robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and fourth-degree assault, court records show.
Boal was arrested Jan. 26 while multiple area law enforcement agencies were conducting a stolen vehicle operation. At the time, Vancouver police officers arrested him on unrelated warrants, according to the sheriff’s office.
Days later, authorities referred charges against Boal related to a Feb. 21, 2023, attempted carjacking after DNA evidence linked him to that incident, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies had responded at 11:44 a.m. to the AM-PM gas station at 609 N.E. 99th St. A man reported he was filling his tires and moved to the passenger’s side when a stranger jumped into his driver’s seat. As the thief began backing up, the victim jumped into the passenger’s seat. Both men struck each other in the face, the sheriff’s office said. The suspect then escaped.
The attempted carjacking was captured by the mini-mart’s surveillance camera, which showed the suspect had been dropped off by a vehicle just before the incident. Afterward, the man could be seen removing and hiding some of his clothing behind a building before walking away, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies circulated photos of the vehicle that dropped off the man, and investigators later found it in a grocery store parking lot. Deputies interviewed the driver, the agency said.
Investigators also sent the discarded clothing to the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab to be processed for DNA evidence. In November, detectives learned DNA on the clothing matched that of Boal, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Boal appeared on the allegations Feb. 1 in Clark County Superior Court. A judge set his bail at $100,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 14, court records show.
