Inmate convicted in jail attack

RITZVILLE – A jury has unanimously found a habitual offender guilty of charges related to attacking another inmate and a corrections officer in the Adams County Jail prior to its closure.

Ramon Reyna, 29, was found guilty last week in first-degree assault with cruelty aggravators and second-degree assault in Adams County Superior Court.

Reyna will be sentenced during an upcoming hearing; a hearing date was not immediately available.

“The evidence presented during the trial, along with the diligent efforts of the prosecution and the impartial deliberately of the jury, led to this decision,” Sheriff Dale Wagner said.

“Assault in the first degree with deliberately cruelty aggravators is an extremely serious offense, carrying significant penalties under the law,” Wagner said. “This conviction reflects the severity of the crimes committed and sends a strong message that acts of violence will not be tolerated within our community or within our jail.”

Wagner commended the Adams County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for its work in the case.

“The determination shown by the prosecution team in presenting their case is commendable, as is the professionalism displayed by the defense in representing their client,” he said.

Court records show Reyna beat his cellmate, 21-year-old Anthony Vargas-Martinez, 22, severely while incarcerated in the Adams County Jail on June 28, 2022. Reyna also attacked corrections deputy Suarez-Tapia, who attempted to intervene.

At the time, Wagner described the attack as “unprovoked,” noting he used closed fists to knock his cellmate unconscious and then continued kicking him in the head.

Deputy Suarez Tapia entered the cell and tried to intervene, even using a Taser on Reyna, who overcame the device and attacked the corrections officer in an attempt to escape.

Vargas-Martinez was airlifted to a Spokane hospital for treatment of his injuries, records show.

At the time, the jail was short-staffed as the Sheriff’s Office was in the process of moving inmates to contract municipal jails in Sunnyside and Pasco, and county jails in Grant and Adams Counties.

The Adams County Jail has since been closed due to a need for upgrades and staffing.

Author Bio

Roger Harnack, Publisher

Roger Harnack is co-owner and publisher of Free Press Publishing. An award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher who grew up in Eastern Washington, he's one of only two Washington state journalists ever to receive the international Golden Quill for editorial/commentary writing. Roger is committed to preserving local media, and along with it, a local voice for Eastern Washington.

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 5092356184
• Twitter: @RogerHarnack