Warden woman charged in connection to '12 robbery

EPHRATA - Carla M. Orvis, 53, of Warden is accused of stealing about $950 from a Moses Lake business in February 2012.

Orvis faces charges of first-degree robbery and second-degree theft in Grant County Superior Court.

A suspect allegedly made off with more than $900 from Snyder's Bakery in Moses Lake last year, but police were never able to locate the suspect. The investigation remained open until recently.

According to court documents, police were dispatched to Snyder's Bakery on South Pioneer Way last year on Feb. 16.

An employee reportedly told police the suspect spent some time walking around the store with a shopping cart before coming to the counter to check out. The suspect allegedly told the clerk, "I'm robbing you," according to court records.

The clerk told police the suspect held up her purse and made it seem as if a gun was inside. According to court documents, the clerk told police she emptied the contents of her till into the suspect's purse.

The suspect then allegedly made the clerk go to the back office to empty the contents of the store's safe. The clerk reportedly told police the suspect ran out of the store's back door.

According to court records, police were not able to identify the suspect.

On Oct. 12, police responded to a robbery at Subway on South Pioneer Way. According to court records, a suspect robbed the restaurant before fleeing on foot.

The suspect also allegedly led store employees to believe she had a gun, even though one was never seen, according to records.

Police later used video surveillance at Subway to identify Orvis as the suspect, according to court documents.

Police then made contact with Orvis since she allegedly matched the physical description given of the individual suspected in the Snyder's robbery and used a similar method of making it seem like she had a gun.

Orvis reportedly told police she was probably in Seattle during the February 2012 robbery, according to court records.

The clerk at Snyder's identified Orvis as the suspect during a photo lineup, according to court documents. She reportedly told police she was 100 percent sure the photograph of Orvis she selected was the individual who robbed the store in February.