Mattawa man sentenced for toy gun robbery

MATTAWA — A Mattawa man was sentenced for robbing another man with a modified toy gun.

Francisco Mejia, 23, of Mattawa, pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery. Grant County Superior Court Judge John Knodell followed a joint recommendation between Deputy Prosecutor Kevin McCrae and defense attorney Michael Morgan and sentenced Mejia to 12 months and a day, with 18 months of community custody. Mejia was initially charged with first-degree robbery and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, but the robbery charge was amended in a plea agreement between McCrae and Morgan. The unlawful firearm charge was dropped because the firearm in question was a toy, explained McCrae in court on Tuesday.

On Aug. 26 the Mattawa Police Department received a report of a subject, Mejia, walking in the 100 block of East Second Street with a knife and gun. A MPD officer responded to the area and contacted a man who reported being robbed at gunpoint.

“The victim stated Francisco J. Mejia walked over to him and removed a knife from his (the victim's) right hip,” wrote a officer. “Mejia took approximately three steps backwards and pointed what he believed to be an AK-47 style pistol and him. The male stated he feared for his life and others around him. He believed he was going to be shot.”

Another witness in the area was contacted and told police Mejia had walked over to the victim and took a knife from him. She claimed Mejia then walked toward her while she was holding her granddaughter and said “hi” to her and kept walking. She described the gun he was in possession of as a long pistol, black and brown in color, according to police records.

“(The woman) stated she was scared for her safety due to Francisco’s actions,” wrote a officer.

Mejia was later contacted outside of a trailer in the 200 block of East Fourth Street. When he was initially contacted he was reportedly holding the gun in question. The gun was found to be a toy that had been altered to look more realistic by taking out the plastic barrel and replacing it with a pipe.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.