Lewis County Sirens.com

Michael Anthony Lar is shown his seat in Lewis County Superior Court this morning.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – Defense attorney Don Blair asked a judge today to suppress evidence against accused bank robber Michael Anthony Lar, contending police made an illegal arrest of Lar in January 2010.

Lar is currently serving a sentence of life in prison without any possibility of release following his conviction for the attempted robbery of Twin Star Credit Union in Centralia on January 25 of last year.

While he was being held in the Lewis County Jail and on trial, police got DNA samples they say matched material found on duct tape from an unsolved similar robbery at the same financial institution in January 2009.

The 58-year-old is awaiting trial on the 2009 robbery.

Blair told Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler today his motion to suppress evidence stems from the arrest in the 2010 case, and an expected decision this fall on Lar’s appeal of that conviction could settle the issue.

The judge did not make any decision today on the motion.

Employees arriving for work at Twin Star Credit Union on South Gold Street early on Jan. 25, 2010 found a man inside, who held one of them briefly, until an arriving Centralia police officer pulled her out a door to safety and fired two shots at the man inside the bank.

Officers set up containment around the building and entered several hours later to find nobody inside.

About 9:45 p.m. that night, according to Blair’s motion, Olympia police were advised of a suspicious person waiting for a cab at a downtown hotel; Lar was taken by a taxi but pulled over about two blocks away.

Blair goes on to write: Lar was ordered out of the vehicle at gunpoint and ordered to lay face down on the ground. Arriving Centralia police officers immediately ordered Olympia officers to arrest him.

“At the time Mr. Lar was arrested, he had not even been rolled over from where he was laying,” Blair wrote.

Lar was taken to the Olympia Police Department where he was searched and photographed, according to Blair.

Charging documents in the case describe a Centralia police officer who waited in the hospital room with Lar at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, and then interviewed him.

Blair writes the the burden is on prosecutors to prove the warrantless seizure and arrest was justified under one of the exceptions to the warrant requirement.

Lar’s trial is currently scheduled for the week of Nov. 28.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer today said even though Lar was sentenced to life under the three strikes law for the 2010 case, his office finds it necessary to pursue charges in the 2009 robbery.

That’s because it’s potentially possible Lar could be successful in his current appeal, Meyer said.
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Read background on the two cases, here

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – A 58-year-old man whose history reportedly includes at least seven bank robberies – some he’s been convicted of and some he’s admitted to – over more than a quarter of a century will be in Lewis County Superior Court tomorrow as lawyers prepare for his November trial, for bank robbery.

Michael Anthony Lar is currently serving a sentence of life in prison without any possibility of release following the attempted robbery of Twin Star Credit Union in Centralia and a jury trial last year.

In that case, according to court documents, Lar broke a window early on a January morning and waited inside for employees to arrive to the building on South Gold Street.

Court documents describe how his plan was foiled, but he nearly evaded capture:

The first entering employee screamed, prompting a call to 911 and the arrival of police. An officer pulled the woman outside to safety and fired two shots at the ski-mask wearing, would-be bandit.

Police surrounded the bank, but after hiding in nearby bushes nearly 12 hours, a wounded Lar called a taxi and headed to Olympia, where he was arrested the same night.

His BB gun, six-inch knife and ski mask were later found north of the bank.

Lar was convicted by a jury in March of last year in Lewis County Superior Court of first-degree attempted robbery, first-degree kidnapping and first-degree burglary.

While he awaited sentencing, a Centralia police detective got DNA samples that matched material found on duct tape from an unsolved similar robbery at the same financial institution a year earlier, according to court documents.

According to charging documents in the current case, Lar was waiting for employees to arrive early on the morning of Jan. 2, 2009.

The documents go on to allege how he managed to get away with approximately $360,000:

As the second employee began to enter the building, she heard crunching in the snow behind her, and was pushed inside.

He told the two women to open the vault and get the armored car cash drop which had been delivered two days earlier. He ordered them to lay face down on the floor and duct taped their hands and feet together before leaving.

Lar was charged in May of last year with first-degree robbery, two counts of unlawful imprisonment and first-degree burglary.

When he was charged, court documents showed he had a north Seattle address, although he was in the Lewis County Jail awaiting sentencing. He is currently residing in prison.

Tomorrow morning’s hearing is the type in which attorneys on both sides typically report to a judge if they are or are not on track for an upcoming trial.

Lar’s trial is scheduled for the week of Nov. 28. His defense attorney is Don Blair.

He is appealing last year’s conviction.
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Court documents note the following other bank robberies in which Lar has either been convicted of or admitted to. He reportedly often used an air pistol:
• 1982, Wyoming
• Dec. 22, 1984, Interwest Savings Bank, Stanwood
• Feb. 21, 1985, First Interstate Bank, Stanwood
• March 14, 1996, Riverview Savings Bank, Longview
• March 29, 1996, First Community Bank, Centralia
• May 31, 1996, First Community Bank, Tumwater
• July 24, 1996, Mohave County Federal Credit Union, Arizona

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

CHEHALIS – The Lewis County Jail is moving forward to install an Internet-based system for visitation with inmates that some are hoping will be expanded to offer a form of telecommuting in other parts of the local criminal justice system.

Inmates have not enjoyed face-to-face visits for years, since the new jail was built and a video screen visitation system was installed in the Chehalis facility.

But Jail Chief Kevin Hanson says that equipment is antiquated and hard-wired into the building; and he’s found a program he says is more versatile.

If inmates have family who live far away, they would not have to drive to Chehalis for a visit, according to Hanson. They could just log in from home, he said.

It could still only happen during the inmate’s scheduled visitation time and would cost the user about $9 for a 30 minute session, according to Hanson.

And, while children are not allowed into the the jail for visits under the current setup, they could visit through the Internet system, he said.

Another advantage is the session would be archived for a period of time, and will be a good tool for detectives investigating certain crimes by watching the visits.

The system could potentially be used by others, according to Hanson. For example, defense attorneys could have meetings with their incarcerated clients over the Internet.

Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer could perhaps avoid the expense of flying in expert witnesses for trials, by putting them “virtually” on the witness stand, according to Hanson.

Hanson said they hope to have the new visitation system in place by this fall, and move on to phase two of the plan; using it for video arraignments in court.

Centralia Municipal Court and Chehalis Municipal Court are on board with the idea, according to Hanson.

Hanson and Sheriff Steve Mansfield have touted the cost savings and increased security from not having to transport inmates to the courts to actually see judges.

Centralia Police Chief Bob Berg said last week he likes the idea of his officers not having to drive over to jail to bring inmates back to Centralia for court.

“It would save us a lot of money, but what really sold me on it is increased security of the court,” Berg said.

The judges in Lewis County Superior Court and Lewis County District Court are opposed to video arraignments  in their courtrooms however.

District Court Judge Michael Roewe cites a number of factors including their belief it violates court rules and would impose unnecessary work on other participants working in the criminal justice system.