Ashlie Ruth Clark bit off a security guard’s ear, prosecutors said. (Mugshot: Washington County District Attorney’s Office)
A shoplifter has been convicted of biting off a security guard’s ear, prosecutors in Washington County, Oregon, have confirmed. The defendant, Ashlie Ruth Clark, 31, is to spend five years and eight months behind bars after pleading guilty on Friday to second-degree assault and attempted first-degree robbery. She must also serve three years of post-prison supervision. Senior Judge John Collins handed down the sentence.
Authorities said Clark stole more than $800 worth of merchandise from the Nordstrom department store at the Washington Square Mall on July 22, 2022.
Three security guards confronted her as she left without paying, they said.
“She physically resisted and shouted obscene comments as they attempted to retrieve the stolen items,” prosecutors wrote. “During the struggle, she bit the earlobe of one of the loss prevention officers, removing at least half an inch of the victim’s earlobe.”
When cops arrested her, she gave them a fake name and birth date, authorities said. Law enforcement, however, discovered that she had two outstanding warrants for her arrest, according to the prosecutor’s office.
“The victim went to the hospital and his earlobe could not be surgically reattached,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors thanked Nordstrom’s security team and others who assisted in the investigation.
“The Washington County Attorney’s Office acknowledges the work of the Tigard Police Department, as well as Nordstrom’s Loss Prevention Team and Washington Square Mall Security for their assistance in this investigation,” the office said. prosecutor. “Defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin her sentence.”
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