The third and final suspect accused of kidnapping a juvenile at gunpoint and robbing him at Fort Borst Park in Centralia on Dec. 4 was booked into the Lewis County Jail on Monday.
Elijah S. Molina, 21, of Chehalis, was booked at 11:15 a.m. on Jan. 27 on a $100,000 arrest warrant for first-degree robbery and second-degree assault charges, according to jail records and court documents. He was also booked on several unrelated cases for failing to appear in court.
The $100,000 arrest warrant was issued the same day that charges were filed on Dec. 9.
He was initially charged with one count of first-degree robbery and four counts of second-degree assault, but amended information adding one count of second-degree kidnapping to his charges was filed Dec. 11.
Molina has been in the Thurston County Jail since Dec. 10 and was transferred to the Lewis County Jail as soon as that case was resolved, according to defense attorney Rachael Tiller.
Molina had his preliminary hearing in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
“Clearly the state’s main concern is community safety,” deputy prosecutor Joe Bassetti said of Molina’s case on Tuesday. He asked the court to maintain the $100,000 bail set in the arrest warrant.
Judge Paul Strophy granted the prosecution’s bail request.
Arraignment is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 6.
Molina and his two co-defendants, Cornelius C. Wayman Jr., 21, of Centralia, and Daniel L. Flores, 18, of Centralia, allegedly met up with four juveniles who agreed to sell them a vape pen at Fort Borst Park sometime before 5:47 p.m. on Dec. 4.
One of the juveniles reportedly got into the front passenger’s seat of the suspects’ vehicle to sell them the vape pen, at which point one of two reported passengers in the backseat, who have since been identified as Flores and Molina, allegedly “pulled out a gun and pressed it to the back of (the juvenile’s) head,” according to charging documents.
Flores allegedly told detectives that Wayman told Molina to “put the gun to (the juvenile’s) neck,” according to court documents.
While Molina allegedly had a gun to the victim’s head, Wayman allegedly “sped off with the victim in the vehicle,” according to charging documents and a Centralia Police Department news release.
The victim reported that he threw the vape pen out of the window once the vehicle sped out of the parking spot, which prompted Wayman to stop the vehicle. He allegedly grabbed the gun from the backseat passenger, stepped out of the vehicle to retrieve the vape, pointed the gun at the other three juveniles who were with the victim and struck the victim in the face before getting back into the vehicle and driving off.
Officers with the Centralia Police Department responded at 5:47 p.m., according to call logs and court documents.
Wayman was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 4:30 a.m. on Dec. 5, after officers received a tip identifying Wayman as a suspect and confirmed the vehicle was registered to one of Wayman’s relatives. He was charged Dec. 6 with one count of first-degree robbery and four counts of second-degree assault. Amended information adding one count of first-degree kidnapping to his charges was filed Dec. 12.
Flores was arrested and booked into the Lewis County Jail at 12:05 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6, and was charged Monday, Dec. 9, with one count of first-degree robbery and four counts of second-degree assault.
Wayman and Flores have pleaded not guilty to their respective charges. Trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 6.
Flores posted $50,000 bail on Dec. 17 and was not in custody at the Lewis County Jail as of Tuesday afternoon.
Wayman was still in custody Tuesday afternoon on a total of $750,000 bail between two Lewis County Superior Court cases. He was charged Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Lewis County Superior Court with four counts of third-degree rape of a child in an unrelated case.
