A Vancouver man who was stabbed while he tried to rob another man of his bicycle was sentenced Monday to nearly three years in prison.
Ronley Santer, 22, was convicted this month by a Clark County Superior Court jury of first-degree robbery stemming from the July 6 mugging at Evergreen Park.
Vancouver police responded to the park at 2400 Rossiter Lane shortly after 10 p.m. for a report of a disturbance with a weapon. The victim, Colin Shanklin, told police three men assaulted him and took his mountain bike, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Shanklin said one of the males told him, “That’s a nice bike. Let me get it up off you.” That man then punched Shanklin in the face and grabbed his bike. Shanklin fell to the ground, he said, and the other two males started hitting and kicking him, the affidavit states.
Shanklin pulled a folding knife from his back pocket and began slashing at the attackers in self-defense, he said. They eventually ran away, court records said.
Police found Santer nearby, bleeding from a knife wound to his right leg. He admitted to being involved in the altercation with Shanklin but refused to identify the others. The two other suspects were not located, according to court documents.
Deputy Prosecutor James Smith recommended that Santer be sentenced to 36 months — the middle of the sentencing range. His court-appointed attorney, Tony Lowe, argued that his client should only receive 31 months.
Judge Derek Vanderwood agreed to the shorter sentence, in part because of his lack of felony criminal history. “My hope is it’s something to learn from,” he told Santer.
Santer will also serve 18 months of community custody and is not to have contact with Shanklin. He was given credit for 158 days in custody.
