Two Clark County men appeared Friday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of a gang rape in March of two women who were incapacitated by alcohol. A third suspect in the alleged rapes has not yet been arrested.
Tristan B. Rice, 20, of Battle Ground faces charges of two counts of second-degree rape and indecent liberties at his arraignment Thursday. Brandon D. Brinley, 21, of Vancouver faces a charge of one count of second-degree rape at his arraignment a day later.
Judge Scott Collier held Rice on $75,000 bail because of his extensive criminal history, which includes theft, malicious mischief, assault, vehicle prowling and possession of heroin/cocaine/methamphetamine/opium. Collier appointed Vancouver attorney Diane Grecco to defend him.
Brinley was held on $20,000 bail because he has no criminal history. He isn’t eligible for a court-appointed attorney because he earns too much money and will have to hire one, the judge said. He told the judge he is a member of the National Guard.
The two victims, both 19, were raped repeatedly during a party late March 28 and early March 29 at Rice’s home, 7905 N.E. 140th Ave. in Vancouver, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court. Court records indicate Rice no longer lives at that address.
The women arrived at the party together at about 10:30 p.m. March 28 and together, drank a total of about three-fourths of one-fifth of a gallon of vodka. They were passed out intermittently from the alcohol, according to the affidavit. One of the women said she remembers waking up early March 29 on the edge of a bed and seeing Rice having sex with her unconscious friend on the other side of the bed, the affidavit says. Later, Rice turned his sexual attentions to her, the affidavit says. As he sexually touched her, she said, she pretended to be asleep because she didn’t know what to do, the affidavit says.
Brinley’s DNA was found on or inside one of the victims during a sexual assault examination on March 30-31, the affidavit says. Brinley told police that the sex was consensual.
DNA tests linked Rice to the rape of both women and linked the third suspect to the rape of one of the women, the affidavit says. However, a witness said that the third suspect disclosed that he had sex with both women on the night of the rapes, the affidavit says. The third suspect also filmed the sexual acts with his phone, the affidavit says. He had not been arrested as of Friday afternoon in connection with the alleged crimes.
