Lewis County Sirens.com

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The suspect in the sword robberies at the Market Street Market in Chehalis was living just four or five blocks from the convenience store, police said today.

Officers were called about 9:15 a.m. yesterday to the convenience store between 12th and 13th avenues on South Market Street, and told an armed robbery had occurred about an hour earlier, according to the Chehalis Police Department.

Officers were told a male wielding a sword came in and demanded money, the second such hold up at the business in a little more than a week.

The owner of the market said yesterday the encounter was brief, with the subject making him put cash into a plastic bag.

The masked man was last seen running in the area of Southwest Cascade Avenue and 13th Street, according to the Chehalis police.

Deputy Chief Randy Kaut said officers yesterday learned of a gentleman who owns some swords, spoke with him and came to the conclusion the man’s young relative had borrowed the weapons and robbed the store twice.

Twenty-three-year-old Jonathan A. Jamerson went into the police department yesterday, was interviewed and then arrested for two counts of first-degree robbery

Jamerson was temporarily staying with the relative who resides a few blocks from the store, Kaut said. He is previously from Thurston County, according to Kaut.

Police took possession of at least three swords from the home, and some cash – possibly from the holdup, Kaut said.

Police believe Jamerson is likely the same individual who pointed a sword at two clerks and robbed the market the night of June 18.

The victim said yesterday it looked to be the same person, wearing the same clothes.

Kaut said he didn’t know the reason for the delay in reporting yesterday’s incident, except the victim told police he really didn’t know what he should do.

Jamerson is tentatively scheduled to go before a judge today in Lewis County Superior Court.

Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 at 9:49 am and is filed under News briefs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.