A man accused of stealing lighters from a gas station convenience store in Chehalis and threatening an employee with a knife on Monday has been charged with first-degree robbery.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Bail is set at $250,000.
An employee at the store, located in the 600 block of West Main Street, called 911 at 7:11 a.m. on Aug. 26 to report a male armed with a knife had stolen lighters and was “now physical with staff,” according to Chehalis Police Department press logs.
An employee reported “the male had entered the store, selected a torch lighter and put it in his pocket,” according to charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
When the employee told him to take it out of his pocket, the male allegedly grabbed multiple lighters and left the store.
Another employee reportedly followed the male, who was later identified as 31-year-old Jaime M. Granados, outside. The employee reportedly grabbed Granados, at which point Granados allegedly struck the employee.
The employee then “returned to the store and grabbed a stick because the male suspect had pulled out a knife,” according to court documents.
An officer with the Chehalis Police Department reportedly located Granados on foot on Northwest State Avenue sometime before 8:10 a.m. on Monday.
When the officer activated his vehicle’s emergency lights and directed him to stop, Granados allegedly turned into a nearby parking lot and proceeded toward Main Street.
The officer noted “the male had the handle of a large black knife protruding from his shorts pocket,” according to court documents.
Granados reportedly fled through a nearby park-and-ride toward a pedestrian walkway Interstate 5. Officers reportedly located him hiding in some bushes in the area and arrested him.
He was booked into the Lewis County Jail at 8:09 a.m. on Aug. 26, according to jail records.
In addition to the robbery charge, Granados faces one count of third-degree theft.
He is also being held without bail on an unrelated Lewis County Superior Court case filed on Aug. 15, where he faces charges of attempted theft of a motor vehicle, third-degree malicious mischief, second-degree vehicle prowl and third-degree theft for allegedly using a screwdriver to break into a car in Centralia.
In that case, the car’s owner flagged down an officer behind the Centralia Police Department's station on West Maple Street on Aug. 14 to report he was getting ready for work when he observed a stranger, later identified as Granados, in the driver’s seat of his vehicle. Granados had allegedly stolen at least one Rockstar energy drink from a case inside the car and was actively drinking it during his interactions with the vehicle’s owner and the Centralia officer.
Granados reportedly told the officer “he wanted to take the car and would leave a note for the owner to pay for the car,” according to charging documents.
When asked how he would pay for the car, Granados allegedly “stated he would make an arrangement right now with the owner.”
Granados allegedly caused significant damage to the vehicle’s steering column.
Additional charges were added to the case Tuesday after investigators learned Granados possibly broke into a second vehicle on or around Aug. 14, according to Deputy Prosecutor Joe Bassetti.
Granados was released from the Lewis County Jail on Aug. 16 on $10,000 unsecured bail, meaning he could remain out of custody without paying the bail amount so long as he followed his conditions of release, which included being in court for all mandatory hearings and not committing any crimes.
Lewis County Superior Court issued a no-bail bench warrant for Granados’ arrest on Aug. 22 after he failed to appear for his arraignment hearing.
“The court has low confidence he will follow any court orders,” Judge Joely Yeager said of Granados on Tuesday.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 5.
