Pair sentenced in sequence of violent crimes

A man and woman arrested following a violent crime spree, in which they attacked and robbed strangers around Vancouver, were sentenced Wednesday to 8 1/2 and 10 years in prison, respectively.

Ashley L. Griffin, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree robbery, one count of attempted second-degree robbery, second-degree assault, and two counts of fourth degree assault.

Daniel Perez Rodriguez, 24, pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery, two counts of attempted first-degree robbery, fourth-degree assault and second-degree assault.

According to court records, on Oct. 9, the couple robbed and assaulted a woman near Vancouver Lake Regional Park, attacked two women at the play area at Vancouver Mall in some kind of dispute, tried to rob a man of his tablet computer as he walked home from work on Highway 99, and followed home and attacked with brass knuckles a man in the Fourth Plain Village neighborhood. Perez Rodriguez also attacked and tried to rob a man near the Walgreens in Uptown Village.

Matthew L. Smith, 36, a third co-defendant in the attack at Vancouver Lake Regional Park, is due for trial next month.

Griffin also pleaded guilty in an earlier incident from September, where she attacked a woman with pepper spray and stole her purse, according to court records.

Both Perez Rodriguez and Griffin were contrite in court Wednesday, and Griffin’s attorney said Griffin has a diagnosed panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and schizophrenia.

Clark County Superior Court Judge Bernard Veljacic told Griffin that her history might offer a reason for what happened but not an excuse.

“That doesn’t justify you going out committing random acts of violence to people out on the street,” he said.

He sentenced Griffin to 120 months in prison, and Perez Rodriguez to 102 months.