PORT TOWNSEND — A jury has convicted a Marysville man of second-degree rape following a 2019 incident that occurred on the day he was released from prison.
Rhyan Tyler Vasquez, 31, is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. Aug. 8 in Jefferson County Superior Court. He was being held Thursday without bail at the Jefferson County Jail.
Second-degree rape is a Class A felony, punishable by up to life in prison and/or a $50,000 fine.
Vasquez was found guilty of second-degree rape with a domestic violence component and an aggravator for rapid recidivism because it occurred immediately after he was released from Clallam Bay Corrections Center, the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said.
“This conviction took a team effort,” Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy stated in a press release. “Deputy Prosecutor Holly Graham’s dedication and meticulous preparation ensured that justice was served for (the victim), who endured unimaginable trauma.
“I commend the bravery of (the victim) in coming forward and the diligent work of the Marysville Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in building a strong case.
“This conviction sends a clear message that domestic violence and sexual assault will not be tolerated in our community.”
On July 7, 2019, Vasquez’s former girlfriend picked him up as he was released from Clallam Bay Corrections Center. The pair previously had a romantic relationship for about a year and a half, according to court records.
“Despite her clear communication during multiple recorded phone calls, expressing her intent to maintain only a platonic friendship and her involvement with another partner, Vasquez reacted with violence and coercion,” the Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney’s office stated in the release.
While traveling on U.S. Highway 101, Vasquez began drinking alcohol that he purchased with his release money, the prosecuting attorney’s office said. He then became aggressive when his former girlfriend attempted to pull over to let him out at a bus stop.
Vasquez grabbed the steering wheel and attempted to take the woman’s car keys. He also bit her thumb in an effort to take the keys and threw her phone into the woods, according to court records.
As the woman tried to escape with her dog, Vasquez pushed her into the passenger seat of her vehicle, restrained her, and he climbed into the driver’s seat. Soon afterward, he hit the woman in the face and repeatedly threatened to kill her and harm her new boyfriend, according to court records.
When they stopped at Triton Cove State Park, Vasquez sexually assaulted the woman in a park bathroom. Later, near Tacoma, Vasquez forced the woman into a portable bathroom and sexually assaulted her twice more despite her objections, according to court records.
Vasquez admitted to detectives that he hit his former girlfriend in the face and threw her phone, but he told the jury that the sexual encounters were consensual.
During the trial, Graham presented evidence that included a recorded call from Clallam Bay Corrections Center between Vasquez and his former girlfriend, plus cell phone records, photographs of the woman’s injuries, DNA evidence and Vasquez’s admissions of hitting her and biting her.
The woman also identified the bathroom at Triton Cove State Park as the location of one of the sexual assaults during a follow-up investigation conducted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, according to court records.
