Man Allegedly Robs, Pushes Over Woman In Wheelchair; Bail Set At $50,000

A 31-year-old man who allegedly robbed and pushed a woman off her wheelchair last month in Olympia, Washington, was charged this week.

The incident occurred at around 2:38 p.m on Aug. 28 at an apartment on the 3000 block of Martin Way East. The man was arrested later that day near the Taco Time on Pacific Avenue Southeast.

The man, whose identity has not been released, was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery with aggravating circumstances, The Olympian reported, citing court documents.

A $50,000 bail was set by Superior Court Commissioner Nate Kortokrax, who cited concerns that the man may commit another violent crime or fail to appear in court. The man is currently being held at the Thurston County Jail and is set to appear in court on Sept. 13 for his competency hearing.

The unidentified man has a criminal history dating back to 2002 that includes assault and theft, among other crimes.

The man is currently under the supervision of the Department of Corrections. However, according to a pretrial report, he fled from an assisted living facility in June and has been on warrant status ever since. It was also indicated in the report that the man had a history of psychiatric hospitalizations and substance abuse.

In an affidavit of probable cause, an Olympia officer who responded to the alleged crime provided details on the Aug. 28 incident.

The officer responded to the apartment on Martin Way 10 minutes after the alleged robbery took place. He found a woman sitting on the floor and sobbing with her wheelchair collapsed on the ground beside her.

When asked for her statement, the woman, whose identity was also not disclosed, said that she knew the man through her deceased son. The 31-year-old suspect visited her home and asked for her husband, but she said that he was not home. After that, the man asked for a glass of water.

When she returned, the woman allegedly found the man going through her purse. The woman asked him to stop, but the man instead allegedly pulled out a knife and pushed her from her wheelchair.

The woman did not know the assailant’s name, but relatives were able to identify him. The man allegedly stole a bottle of Oxycodone, an opioid used to treat pain, and a bottle of vitamins.

After a search was carried out, police found the suspect at the Taco Time on Pacific Avenue at 7:38 p.m. Recovered from the suspect was a pill bottle from the bag that he carried. There was no mention of a knife being found.

The man initially denied seeing the woman in the wheelchair and alleged that he went out to get pizza with his wife, using several names for her. He was booked into jail after the interview.