Man arrested for alleged bank robbery

Suspect armed, money recovered

MOSES LAKE - A Moses Lake man was arrested on Holly Street in Moses Lake Monday afternoon after allegedly robbing Washington Mutual at knifepoint.

Allen Pavese, 54, was arrested for first-degree robbery.

A witness reported the man was fleeing from the bank toward Fourth Avenue in a dark blue Jeep Grand Cherokee registered to an owner in Quincy. Police indicated the vehicle did not appear stolen.

Police were dispatched and stopped the SUV within a few minutes of the original report.

When police made the arrest, the man exited the vehicle and was apprehended by at least four officers. Police advised he had bundled cash on his person. They removed the cash and placed it in a brown paper bag.

Police advised they were unsure about how much money was stolen or recovered.

Officers at the scene stated they could see a knife sitting on the passenger seat in the vehicle.

Police Chief Dean Mitchell said there were no injuries caused by the knife at the bank.

"People at the bank were pretty shaken up," he said.

Washington Mutual declined to comment stating they were not able to release information about the incident.

Mitchell said bank employees took all the right steps to help lead police to the suspect. They obtained a vehicle description, suspect description, license plate number, direction of travel and contacted police immediately, he said.

Mitchell said police have dealt with Pavese in the past.

In mid-June he was arrested for malicious mischief in the first degree, driving under the influence of alcohol and hit-and-run collision with property damage after allegedly crashing a vehicle into a Moses Lake Police Department security gate.

Capt. Dave Ruffin told the Columbia Basin Herald in June, Pavese crashed the vehicle into the gate intentionally stating he wanted to go to jail.