Vancouver man accused in apartment burglary

A Vancouver man who allegedly broke into an apartment and brandished a hammer and knife at the residents when they returned home made a first appearance Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court.

Roderick L. King, 27, appeared on suspicion of first-degree burglary and robbery in connection with the Friday night incident.

Police responded to a burglary in progress at 2224 N.E. Bridgecreek Ave. at about 10:20 p.m. The residents said they had returned home from dinner and saw their sliding glass door open. One of the residents, Michael Free-Lema, said he found a man sitting on his second-story balcony and closed the door on him, telling him to leave the apartment, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Superior Court.

The man, later identified as King, forced the sliding glass door open and began to approach Free-Lema, who then armed himself with a rifle and repeatedly told King to leave, court records said.

King was allegedly armed with a hammer and knife and lunged at Free-Lema as he was retreating out the front door. Free-Lema again warned King to leave and then shot at him, the affidavit said.

King fled the scene but was later apprehended near Northeast 87th Avenue and Northeast 10th Street. Free-Lema identified King as the man in his apartment, court documents stated.

According to the affidavit, King was seen fleeing the apartment with a white bag, which contained items that belonged to a second resident in the apartment.

On Tuesday, Judge David Gregerson appointed Diane Sweet to represent King and set his bail at $60,000.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Sept. 22.