A third man accused in a February attempted robbery of a precious metals shop in east Vancouver appeared Tuesday via Zoom in Clark County Superior Court.
Corbyn Jason Zychowicz, 22, of Vancouver is facing an accusation of attempted first-degree robbery while armed with a firearm.
Judge David Gregerson set Zychowicz’s bail at $40,000. He will be arraigned on June 18, court records show.
Co-defendants Donnie Ray Rodgers Jr., 21, and R-Jay Edward Richardson, 22, both of Vancouver, appeared in court in February.
Rodgers is charged with attempted first-degree robbery, second-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Richardson previously pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 23¼ months, according to court records.
Vancouver police responded at about 9:25 p.m. Feb. 7 for a robbery that had just occurred at Apex Metals, 104 S.E. 107th Ave. The victim and owner of the business told 911 that multiple men had robbed him at gunpoint. He told dispatchers he was following the suspects’ SUV, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Due to safety concerns, the victim was told to stop pursuing the vehicle and return to his business. About 10 minutes later, police located the SUV traveling east on Mill Plain Boulevard near Interstate 205. Police stopped the vehicle and detained the driver, identified as Rodgers, and a passenger, identified as Richardson, the affidavit says.
Both Rodgers and Richardson said they let a third person, later identified as Zychowicz, out of the vehicle after the victim stopped following them and before police stopped them, according to court records.
The victim positively identified the vehicle and said he believes Rodgers was the man who robbed him at gunpoint, court documents state.
He said he was leaving his business when Rodgers approached him, pointed a gun and forced him to walk to the backyard, where Rodgers demanded money and jewelry. The victim turned and struggled with Rodgers over the firearm, and Rodgers lost control of the gun and yelled for help, according to the affidavit.
Zychowicz approached and used a stun gun on the victim. Both suspects then fled to their vehicle, court records say.
Police said they found a firearm in the backyard. Video surveillance outside the business also captured the incident.
In an interview with police, Richardson said he, Rodgers and Zychowicz, who was Richardson’s roommate, planned to rob the owner of Apex Metals. They drove in Rodgers’ vehicle to the area and parked down the street, the affidavit states. He said he stayed in the vehicle.
Rodgers told police it was Zychowicz’s idea to rob the shop owner but that he had planned it. He believed the owner would have expensive jewelry and a lot of money on him, Rodgers said. He also said Zychowicz got him the firearm and shocked the owner during the struggle, the affidavit states.
The victim told police he met Zychowicz about a month prior online, and Zychowicz had met him at the business before. He told police he was expecting Zychowicz to meet him at the business that night, according to the affidavit.
