A Vancouver man accused with two others of attacking a family with baseball bats was sentenced Thursday to nearly three years in prison.
William S. Tillmon, 20, pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to third-degree assault in connection with the July 20 incident on Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard. Tillmon agreed to a longer-than-normal sentence in order to avoid a second “strike” offense — three “strike” offenses result in life imprisonment.
Two co-defendants, Tristan L. Robinson, 22, of Camas, and Nathanial S. Sylvester, 20, a transient, pleaded guilty last year and were sentenced. Robinson received 16 months for third-degree assault, and Sylvester was sentenced to 27 months for second-degree assault, court records show.
According to a probable cause affidavit, a family was walking on Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard near 117th Avenue shortly before 9:30 p.m. when a gold-colored car drove slowly past them. The car pulled into a nearby parking lot and three men got out, armed with baseball bats. One of the victims said the men charged at the family. He said he put up his arm to protect another person and was struck once on the wrist. The men then got back into the car and drove off.
