A Marysville man who repeatedly raped his ex- girlfriend the same day he was released from prison will spend decades behind bars.
Rhyan Vasquez was sentenced to more than 23 years in prison in Jefferson County Court on Friday, Aug. 15.
It came after a jury found him guilty of second-degree rape, domestic violence, with an aggravating factor of rapid recidivism, according to Prosecutor James Kennedy.
Vasquez had just been released from Clallam Bay Corrections Center when his former girlfriend, who had previously made clear she did not want a romantic relationship, picked him up on July 7, 2019, prosecutors said.
During the drive on State Route 101, Vasquez began drinking alcohol purchased with his release money and turned aggressive, prosecutors said. He grabbed the steering wheel, took the woman’s keys, bit her thumb, and threw her phone into the woods when she tried to pull over.
Vasquez then forced her back into the car, struck her in the face, and threatened to kill her and harm her new boyfriend.
The victim testified that Vasquez sexually assaulted her later that day at Triton Cove State Park, and again near Tacoma inside a portable bathroom, despite her repeated objections.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence including recorded prison calls, cell phone records, photos of the victim’s injuries, DNA evidence, and Vasquez’s own admissions of physical violence. Investigators also documented the state park bathroom identified by the victim.
Vasquez admitted to hitting the woman, biting her thumb, and threatening her boyfriend, but claimed the sexual encounters were consensual.
At sentencing, Judge Brandon Mack rejected that argument. “A person cannot consent to sex after having been assaulted and threatened.” He added that no sentence could repair the damage done to the victim.
Afterward, Kennedy praised the victim’s resolve. “It took a tremendous amount of courage and fortitude to report this crime and then see it through to the end,” he said. “I am glad the jury held the defendant accountable and that the judge issued a sentence that was commensurate with the gravity of the offense.”
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