A 16-year-old boy accused in two armed robberies last week in Vancouver made a first appearance Friday in Clark County Superior Court.
Bryan M. Hernandez-Guzman of Vancouver appeared on suspicion of first-degree robbery, assault and unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with the Nov. 8 and Nov. 11 incidents.
A co-defendant in the earlier case, 14-year-old Martin L. Vicencio-Bautista of Vancouver, appeared in juvenile court Friday morning on suspicion of first-degree robbery.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the teens targeted the 56-year-old victim after seeing him in Water Works Park, near East Fourth Plain Boulevard. Both youths wore blue bandanas over their faces when they confronted the victim, court records said.
Hernandez-Guzman pointed a gun at the man, and the teens stole his wallet and marijuana, court records said.
At about 10:50 p.m. Nov. 11, a 41-year-old man reported being robbed at gunpoint by three teens. He said the youths approached him and asked for a cigarette. One of the teens pointed a gun at him and demanded money. The victim didn’t have any, however, and the teens ran off, according to a second probable cause affidavit.
A police K-9 led officers to the area of Fourth Plain Boulevard and St. Johns Boulevard, where they located blue and black bandanas with a silver semi-automatic pistol, court documents said.
Hernandez-Guzman was subsequently arrested at his home, near where the K-9 track ended, the affidavit said. He admitted to participating in both robberies, court records show.
The victim in the first robbery identified Vicencio-Bautista as one of his assailants. The teen told police he participated in that robbery, court records said.
During his hearing, Judge Daniel Stahnke appointed Jeff Sowder to represent Hernandez-Guzman and set his bail at $100,000.
He will be arraigned Nov. 25. Vicencio-Bautista is scheduled to be arraigned in juvenile court on Monday.
