FORKS — A 23-year-old hitchhiker faces charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree assault, vehicle theft and unlawful possession of a firearm for his role in an Aug. 24 altercation that left another man “covered in blood” on a road outside of Forks, Clallam County Sheriff’s Detective John Keegan said Wednesday.
Aaron M. Mylan, who was recently released from prison, was arrested in Jefferson County on Aug. 25 for unrelated state Department of Corrections violations and taken to Clallam County jail.
While he was being held, Clallam County sheriff’s detectives interviewed witnesses and collected evidence that tied Mylan to the earlier incident.
Mylan will be formally charged at 3 p.m. today in Clallam County Superior Court.
He is being held on $200,000 bail.
A witness driving along Sitkum-Sol Duc Road outside of Forks reported seeing a blood-covered man fall out of a white pickup truck at about 5:50 p.m. Aug. 24, Keegan said.
The witness said a second man drove the truck into a ditch, then ran down the road with what may have been a gun, Keegan said.
Dispatchers received other calls from people who stopped to give first aid to the bloody man, who reported that he was the victim of a robbery.
He was identified as Diamond Muller in court records.
Muller was treated and discharged from Forks Community Hospital.
He told a deputy that he had picked up a stranger at a Forks gas station.
“A short time later, the suspect produced a handgun and ordered the victim out of the truck,” Keegan said.
“When the victim refused, the suspect struck the victim on the head and face with the gun. When the suspect pointed the gun at the victim, the victim grabbed the gun and pushed it away from him,” Keegan said.
“The gun discharged,” he continued.
“The victim stated that he believes he lost consciousness because he does not remember where the suspect went after that.”
Muller provided authorities with a loaded magazine that fell from the gun, Keegan said.
Surveillance footage from the 76 gas station in Forks showed a man approaching Muller and his truck.
DOC officers recognized Mylan and identified him to deputies, Keegan said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information is asked to phone Keegan at 360-417-2459.