A Vancouver man is facing an attempted murder charge after allegedly attacking an acquaintance who he says stole from him, according to court records.
Jerrel James Revette, 29, made an initial appearance Monday morning in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree robbery and unlawful imprisonment, in addition to attempted first-degree murder.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Revette and two other men attacked and robbed Justin R. Boespflug in the early morning of Aug. 12 in Ridgefield. Revette reportedly told investigators he helped plan the robbery because the victim had stolen from him, and “this was retaliation to his theft.”
The two other suspects had not been arrested as of Monday afternoon.
Ridgefield police were dispatched to Clark County Fire & Rescue’s Fire Station 21, at 911 N. 65th Ave., about 2:40 a.m. for a man banging on a side door. The man, identified as Boespflug, collapsed in the station’s driveway. His hands were covered in blood, and his face was swollen, bloody and bruised. An officer asked him what happened, and Boespflug said he had been “robbed and beaten up by his friends,” according to the affidavit.
Boespflug said Revette and the other suspects picked him up for a party, but on the way, Revette pulled the car into a church parking lot in the 1500 block of North 65th Avenue. He claimed he lost phone service and asked Boespflug to look up directions for the party; but the address didn’t exist, according to the affidavit.
One of the men in the backseat suddenly wrapped a rope around Boespflug’s neck, while the other put a knife to his throat. Revette began punching Boespflug’s left side, he told police. A struggle ensued, and Boespflug grabbed the blade, cutting both of his hands, according to the affidavit.
He eventually climbed out of the passenger-side window to escape and ran down the street. Revette chased him, striking him with a baton. The assailant then returned to the vehicle and tried to run over Boespflug, who jumped out of the way, the affidavit says.
Bloodied and bruised, Boespflug stumbled to the fire station.
On Friday, police served a search warrant at a home in the Five Corners area. Revette was taken into custody there and agreed to speak with investigators.
Revette said one of the other suspects grabbed a knife and tried to stab Boespflug in the chest, which he made an effort to stop. He let Boespflug out of the car, he said, adding that another suspect chased the fleeing man with a bat, the affidavit says.
Police found items belonging to Boespflug in Revette’s room, including an EBT, or Electronic Benefits Transfer, debit card; a Nike Jordan shoe; and hockey gloves. The rest of Boespflug’s stolen belongings are believed to be with the other suspects, according to the affidavit.
During his court appearance, the prosecution requested that Revette be held on $100,000 bail.
“There will be no problem, your honor. I won’t have contact with the victim. …You have my absolute word on that,” Revette told Judge John Fairgrieve in arguing for his release. But the judge decided the prosecution’s bail request was warranted based on the allegations.
An arraignment date was scheduled for Aug. 31.
