A man accused of stealing a candy bar from a Centralia business on Monday and threatening to shoot an employee who confronted him about the theft has been charged with second-degree robbery.
The charge is a class B felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
An officer with the Centralia Police Department responded to a store in the 600 block of North Tower Avenue just after 9:40 a.m. on Oct. 7 after an employee called to report the incident.
According to the employee, a male suspect, who has since been identified as Luc J. Goulet, 61, of Shoreline, came into the store and bought beer, “but grabbed a candy bar before leaving and did not pay for it.”
Goulet allegedly told the employee, “I’m the police, I have a gun, I will shoot you,” then “grabbed at his waistband,” according to charging documents filed in Lewis County Superior Court.
The employee reported “he was scared and ran back into the store” before locking the store’s doors and calling the police.
With help from one of the store’s owners who witnessed the incident, an officer located and detained Goulet.
When questioned, Goulet allegedly “admitted to stealing the candy bar but denied saying he had a gun,” according to court documents.
Lewis County Jail records indicate Goulet was booked for second-degree robbery at 10:25 a.m. on Oct. 7.
“I know that he was quite distraught and dismayed upon review of the information,” defense attorney Rachael Tiller said of Goulet during his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 8. Tiller added that she had concerns about Goulet’s competency.
His bail was set Tuesday at $10,000.
“I do have a concern for community safety based on the allegations here,” Judge J. Andrew Toynbee said Tuesday.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 17.
