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On January 26th, 2024, the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) Tactical Detective Unit (TDU) was working a Stolen Vehicle Operation (SVO) involving multiple law enforcement agencies. During the SVO, the Vancouver Police Department stopped a stolen vehicle and contacted Geoffrey Boal, the suspect in a February 2023 attempted carjacking. Investigators arrested Boal on unrelated warrants.
The attempted carjacking incident occurred on February 21, 2023, at the Arco Gas Station at 609 NE 99th Street. The victim was putting air in the tires of his vehicle on the passenger side when a man approached the driver’s side and got into the car to steal it. The suspect put the vehicle into gear and backed it up as the victim jumped into the passenger seat. The two men then got into a physical altercation, in which the suspect assaulted the victim. The suspect left the scene on foot, leaving the vehicle behind. After an initial patrol response, the case was turned over to TDU.
Detectives then recovered surveillance video that showed the suspect being dropped off by a vehicle before the attempted carjacking. After the altercation, the video showed the suspect remove several clothing items and hide them behind a building before leaving the area. Photos of the transport vehicle were circulated to patrol squads, and a patrol deputy later recognized the vehicle in a local grocery store parking lot. TDU detectives responded to the parking lot and interviewed the driver, developing additional leads. Concurrently, investigators sent the clothing recovered from the scene to the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Crime Lab for DNA analysis.
Several months later, the WSP Crime Lab got a DNA hit on the clothing. This information linked Boal as the suspect in the carjacking. Detectives were unable to locate him.
During the SVO on January 26, 2024, TDU Det. Tanya Johnson identified Boal and recovered evidence that led to probable cause for his arrest for the 2023 carjacking. On January 31st, 2024, Boal was charged with Robbery I.
The original news release is below.
2/21/2023 at 17:00 hours
Here is the link to the video: https://youtu.be/oCrYNVC0zUo
On 2/21/2023 at 1144, the suspect, a white male, dressed in a black hooded shirt and black face mask, walked from the area of the 99th Street Transit Center, located at 9700 NE 7th Avenue, to the AMPM, located at 609 NE 99th Street and stood in close proximity to the air pump, as the victim was adding air to his vehicles tires. When the victim moved around to the passenger side of the vehicle, the suspect jumped into the driver seat and began backing the vehicle up. The victim jumped into the passenger seat and a short struggle ensued, where both men struck each other in the face. The suspect ran off northbound. Sheriff's Office deputies set up containment around the area and the Battle Ground K9 Officer responded to conduct a dog track. The suspect was not located. The Clark County Sheriff's Office Tactical Detective Unit is following up on the investigation. If you have information on the incident, please call Detective Tanya Johnson at 360-600-1505.