A 19-year-old White Salmon woman was arraigned Wednesday in Hood River, Ore., where she is accused in connection with the robbery and murder of a motel owner.
Claudia D. Escoto was arraigned after a secret indictment handed down by the Hood River County grand jury was unsealed, according to a sheriff’s office news release. The indictment charges Escoto with felony murder and robbery in the first degree.
The charges pertain to the robbery and gunshot death of Jerry Cranmer, proprietor of the Vagabond Motel, which is located just outside Hood River. Cranmer was shot to death on Sept. 10, 2009, during what deputies said was the course of a robbery at the motel.
Circuit Judge Paul Crowley ordered that Escoto continue to be held at the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility in The Dalles, Ore., on $100,000 cash bail. Crowley set Aug. 3 for the next hearing.
