Pierce County prosecutors have charged a 38-year-old man in connection with the robbery of a Graham-area convenience store Monday.
Raymond N. Larson was charged Tuesday with one count of first-degree robbery. He’s being held in the Pierce County Jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.
Charging documents gave this account:
A cashier at Mister C’s Grocery-Deli-Video, 200th Street and Meridian East, told deputies the robber wore a black ski mask, blue jacket and black gloves and had a can of pepper spray.
He ordered the cashier to put his hands up. The cashier, who’d been pepper sprayed in a previous robbery, jumped over a counter, ran out the store and yelled for help. Meanwhile, the robber took cash from the register and left.
The cashier identified Larson as a possible suspect. Larson was a former employee and the cashier had heard from a friend that Larson had bragged about robbing Mister C’s with pepper spray before.
Deputies contacted Larson, who denied knowing about the robbery and agreed to have his vehicle searched. But he said the only person who had the keys was his father, who owned the vehicle.
The father agreed to the search but Larson asked him not to open the trunk. The father opened the truck anyway and deputies found a jacket matching the one worn by the robber.
Larson confessed to the robbery and the previous heist. He told deputies he was addicted to Oxycontin and committed the robbery to feed his addiction.
Deputies also found the stolen cash, a BB gun and several knit ski caps.
Stacey Mulick: 253-597-8268
stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com
JOIN THE DISCUSSION | Register here
We welcome comments. Please keep them civil, short and to the point. ALL CAPS, spam, obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. Thanks for taking part — and abiding by these simple rules. A thorough explanation of rules of conduct can be found in our Terms of Service. If you have any questions, including why your comment may not be showing immediately after you submit it, be sure to visit the commenting FAQ.