Two nineteen-year-olds plead guilty in Superior Court for robbery

COLFAX — In a Whitman County Superior Court hearing Friday, Sept. 1, the two nineteen-year-old males who allegedly robbed five Washington State University Students Saturday, July 1, pled guilty to single felony robbery counts against each man.

Frank Alexander Rodriguez, 19, and Robert Ivan Garcia, 19, both of Richland, took the pleas in return for Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy dropping four additional robbery counts against each man, reports show.

According to reports, the deal requires Rodriguez and Garcia’s cooperation with Tracy’s case against the remaining suspect, RJ Williams.

Reports say the defense attorneys and Tracy told the court that Williams had instigated the robbery.

Court Commissioner Doug Robinson sentenced both men to jail for 6 months, in agreement with Tracy’s sentencing request, reports show.

Rodriguez and Garcia were placed on a year of probation and ordered to pay restitution to the victims.

Williams is detained in the Whitman County Jail without bond, facing five counts of felony robbery, and set for court later this month, reports show.

During the robbery, Garcia was a WSU student, and Rodriguez remains in jail since being arrested in July.

Washington State Police Officer Aaron Lang arrested Rodriguez at 3:59 a.m. Saturday, July 1, at 1920 NE Terre View Drive, reports show. The following day, WSU Sergeant Kelly Steward arrested Garcia at his residence at 4 p.m.

Past reports say Lang contacted the five males residing at unit G703, Md Monsurul I Anoy, Akm N. Haque, Mohammad M. Hoque, Abrar A. Abrir, and Nishad Muhammed.

Muhammed had told Lang, according to reports, that the other males, his friends, were smoking cigarettes outside their apartment at 2:45 a.m. near the parking lot area north of building G.

Three males were reported to have approached Mohammed and his friends asking for cigarettes, afterward robbing them.

According to past reports, Rodriguez appeared to be under the influence of intoxicants at his arrest but was reported to be cooperative.

Reports show Stewart located a box of equate black surgical masks in Garcia’s closet, according to past reports.