Woman receives 60 days in robberies

A Portland woman who tried to rob two gas stations this past summer in east Vancouver was sentenced Tuesday in Clark County Superior Court to 60 days in jail.

On Aug. 15, Catrina M. Jackson, 36, attempted to rob Snappy’s Gas & Groceries, 10512 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd., and Stop N Shop Market Shell Station, 4911 N.E. 112th Ave., prosecutors said.

At both stores, which are a few miles from each other, Jackson told the clerks she had a gun and demanded money from the register, according to documents filed in Superior Court. A kitchen worker at Stop N Shop, Ernest Coffelt Jr., who witnessed the attempted robbery, pursued Jackson when she fled the store, knocked her to the ground and held her until Vancouver police arrived, court records say.

When officers arrested Jackson at the store, they said they found a large barbecue grill scrubber on her.

Jackson originally faced two counts of second-degree robbery, which were reduced to two counts of first-degree theft.

Her defense attorney, Shon Bogar, said Jackson was not taking her medications at the time of the crimes and was experiencing mental health issues. She was working a swing-shift schedule that exacerbated her problems, Bogar said. On a pretrial release form, Jackson said she has schizophrenia, and court records indicated she has a history of opiate and methamphetamine use.

With credit for 18 days served, she’ll serve 12 days in jail and 30 days of community service. Jackson also is barred from contact with the gas station employees who witnessed the crimes.

“I will continue in the future to take my medication,” Jackson said to Judge Robert Lewis.

He urged her to do whatever necessary to keep on the straight and narrow.