Aaron Elliott makes his first appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Tuesday afternoon.
A Centralia man was charged in the burglary of a Chehalis business, with authorities believing the break-in and subsequent theft of cash and equipment was fueled by a grudge against the business.
Aaron E. Elliott, 37, was charged with second-degree burglary and second-degree theft Tuesday, and was placed on a $10,000 unsecured bond by a Lewis County Superior Court Judge.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the owner of a business in downtown Chehalis reported a door on a side of the building had been pried open. About $100 in cash, cellphones, an electronic tablet and a laptop computer were all missing. The total value of the stolen items exceeded $750, according to court documents.
Surveillance footage depicting the interior of the business showed a man inside the night prior. Employees and the business owner were able to “immediately” identify Elliott as the man in the footage. Additionally, an officer with the Chehalis Police Department matched a previous jail booking photo of Elliott with the man caught on camera.
The business’s owner said Elliott was a former employee who wanted his job back, but she was not willing to rehire him. He had stolen from the business in the past, the owner said.
Elliott was contacted at his residence, according to court documents, and put under arrest. After being advised of his Miranda rights, he allegedly admitted to breaking into the business and stealing the items.
“Elliott said he committed the break-in because he was upset and had some personal issues. He said he wanted to ‘hurt’ the business by taking the specific tools that would make it difficult for employees of (the business) to do their job,” read court documents.
During a hearing Tuesday afternoon in Lewis County Superior Court, Deputy Prosecutor Joel DeFazio argued for a $10,000 cash bond, while defense attorney Rachael Tiller argued for the bond to be unsecured — meaning Elliott would be free from custody as long as he adheres to set guidelines and shows up to future hearings.
Judge Joely O’Rourke said Elliott’s alleged actions didn’t represent a serious threat to the community and his criminal history was quite dated. She opted for an unsecured bond.
