A 19-year-old Vancouver man accused of attacking his former girlfriend and stealing her car was sentenced Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court to nine years in prison.
Lennie D. Woods pleaded guilty to the charges of attempted kidnapping, tampering with a witness, both felonies, and two misdemeanor counts of violating a domestic violence court order.
Woods was initially arrested on suspicion of first-degree kidnapping, harassment, fourth- and second-degree assault and robbery, among other charges, stemming from two incidents. He also faced a methamphetamine possession charge, court records show.
“I hope this is the wake-up call you need. … Come out a better person,” said Judge Suzan Clark.
A probable cause affidavit in court records says Woods repeatedly punched his former girlfriend in the side of the head and stomach and forced her into her vehicle against her will on the afternoon of Nov. 23. He then drove her around recklessly, continuing an assault that included death threats.
The woman eventually escaped Woods when witnesses intervened, the affidavit says.
A separate probable cause affidavit states that on Jan. 14, the victim was in her car near the intersection of Todd Road and East 18th Street when Woods snuck up and opened the car door. She was assaulted again but managed to get out of the car, and Woods drove off without her. Police found methamphetamine in Woods’ pocket when he was arrested a day later.
Deputy Prosecutor Kristine Foerster recommended a sentence of 108 months for the attempted kidnapping charge, which judge Clark accepted. Woods was also sentenced to 57 months for the witness tampering charge. That prison time will be served concurrently with the more serious offense.
Foerster provided to Clark a letter written by the victim, but it was not read aloud in the courtroom.
Defense attorney David Kurtz said his client’s victim was opposed to a no-contact order, and asked the judge to consider allowing limited communication between the two.
Clark asked Woods what he wanted.
“I’d just like to talk to her, that’s it. It’d be cool if I could email her. She’s just going through some stuff, and I know I can help her,” Woods said.
The judge said she’d consider allowing Woods to communicate with his victim once he undergoes three court-ordered treatments: anger management, substance abuse and domestic violence.
