A man who got out of prison a week ago is accused of knocking an intoxicated man to the ground during a robbery outside King Solomon’s Reef early Thursday morning, causing the victim to suffer brain damage when his head struck the pavement.
According to court papers:
The victim, a man in his 50s, suffered multiple skull fractures and underwent brain surgery at Providence St. Peter Hospital. A doctor said it was “very possible” that the victim will never be the same person again.
Two witnesses identified Derek Lee Erving, 19, as having been involved in the robbery. He was being held Friday at the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery and first-degree assault, with bail set at $50,000.
Erving, who lists no fixed address, got out of prison July 19 after serving a sentence out of Clark County for second-degree burglary, taking a vehicle without permission and possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
Olympia police are seeking a second suspect in Thursday’s robbery.
According to witnesses, Erving and a man identified as “Mouse” were seen talking to the victim, who was “heavily intoxicated,” about a half-hour before the robbery. The suspects then “corralled” the victim into the alley. One witness saw Erving assault the victim, who struck his head “very hard” on the ground.
Erving then approached the victim, who was lying on his back, rolled him onto his stomach and took his wallet, the witness said.
Erving admitted to police that he and the other suspect had tried to get the victim to take out his wallet so they could steal it, and that he’d then assaulted the man, court papers state.
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