A 32-year-old Marysville man was convicted of raping his former girlfriend the day he was released from Clallam Bay Corrections Center in 2019. 

“Rhyan Vasquez is one of the worst, most dangerous criminal defendants I have come across in my career,” wrote Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy. 

Vasquez was found guilty of rape in the second degree, with an aggravator for rapid recidivism, in Jefferson County Superior Court on July 11, the prosecutor’s office announced. 

He has an extensive violent criminal track record with past convictions for assault and robbery eluding police, Kennedy wrote. Vasquez currently serving a 60-month sentence for a drug dealing charge. 

The standard range for second-degree rape with Vasquez’s maximum offender score of 17.5 to 23.3 years, Kennedy wrote. With the aggravator, the judge could sentence him to life in prison. 

“We will be asking for a sentence beyond the standard range,” Kennedy wrote. 

A county press release details the series of events on June 7, 2019, the day Vasquez’s former girlfriend picked him up after his release from Clallam Bay Corrections Center. 

Prosecutors said Vasquez became aggressive on the drive back to Marysville when his former girlfriend attempted to pull over to let him out at a bus stop. 

Vasquez grabbed the steering wheel, bit her thumb in an effort to take her car keys and threw her phone into the woods. The former girlfriend attempted to escape, but Vasquez pushed her into the passenger seat, restrained her and climbed into the driver’s seat. Vasquez then struck the former girlfriend in the face and threatened to kill her. 

“The violence escalated at the Triton Cove State Park, where Casquez sexually assaulted his former girlfriend in a park bathroom,” the press release reads. “Later, somewhere near Tacoma, Vasquez forced the woman into a portable bathroom where he raped her twice more despite her explicit objections.” 

Vasquez admitted to striking his former girlfriend in the face and throwing her phone to detectives but told the jury the sexual encounters happened consensually. 

Deputy Prosecutor Holly Graham presented evidence, including a recorded call between Vasquez and his former girlfriend from the corrections center, cell phone records corroborating the former girlfriend’s account of the events, photographs of her injuries, DNA evidence and Vasquez’s admissions of violence committed against her. 

“This conviction took a team effort,” Kennedy said. “Deputy Prosecutor Holly Graham’s dedication and meticulous preparation ensured that justice was served for [the victim], who endured unimaginable trauma. I commend the bravery of [the victim] in coming forward and the diligent work of the Marysville Police Department and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office in building a strong case. The conviction sends a clear message that domestic violence and sexual assault will not be tolerated in our community.” 

Vasquez’s sentencing is set for Aug. 8.