Accused shoplifter bit off guard’s earlobe, Oregon officials say. She’s going to prison

A 31-year-old woman accused of biting off a Nordstrom security guard’s earlobe in a fight will go to prison for almost six years, Oregon officials say.

Ashlie Ruth Clark pleaded guilty to robbery and assault on Friday, March 24, and will serve 70 months in prison, the Washington County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.

Clark was arrested July 22 in Tigard, a suburb of Portland, following a fight with store security at Nordstrom, the release said.

Loss prevention officers tried to detain her after she was accused of shoplifting $800 in merchandise, prosecutors said.

“She physically resisted and yelled obscene comments as they attempted to recover the stolen items,” the release said. During the fight, she bit off a half-inch of a guard’s earlobe.

The earlobe could not be reattached in surgery, prosecutors said.

Clark initially gave police a fake name and birth date, the release said.

She also will serve three years of supervised release after prison.

This story was originally published March 26, 2023 at 11:32 AM with the headline "Accused shoplifter bit off guard’s earlobe, Oregon officials say. She’s going to prison."