Ashlie Ruth Clark bit off a security guard’s ear, prosecutors said. (Mugshot: The Washington County District Attorney’s Office)
A shoplifter was sentenced for biting off a security guard’s ear prosecutors in Washington County, Oregon confirmed. The defendant, Ashlie Ruth Clark, 31, must spend five years and eight months behind bars after pleading guilty on Friday to assault in the second degree and attempted robbery in the first degree. She must also serve three years of post-prison supervision. Senior Judge John Collins handed down the sentence.
Authorities said Clark shoplifted more than $800 worth of merchandise from the department store Nordstrom 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 yelled obscene comments as they attempted to recover the stolen items,” prosecutors wrote. “During the struggle, she bit the earlobe of the one of the loss prevention officers, removing at least a half inch of the victim’s earlobe.”
When cops arrested her, she gave them a false name and date of birth, authorities said. Law enforcement, however, discovered she had two outstanding warrants for her arrest, according to the DA’s office.
“The victim went to the hospital and her earlobe could not be surgically reattached,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors voiced thanks to the Nordstrom security team and others who helped in the investigation.
“The Washington County District Attorney’s Office acknowledges the work of the Tigard Police Department, and the Nordstrom loss prevention team and Washington Square Mall security for their assistance in this investigation,” the DA’s office said. “The defendant will be transferred to the Oregon Department of Corrections to begin her sentence.”
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
