Teens charged as adults in Moses Lake robbery

MOSES LAKE — Four teenagers are facing adult charges for allegedly robbing another teen at gunpoint in Moses Lake last week.

Grant County prosecutors charged Joshua Hunt, 17, Joseph Sanchez, 17, Corey Vazquez, 16, and Maria Moreno Arellano, 17, as adults in Grant County Superior Court with first-degree robbery. Court documents do not indicate where the defendants reside.

The victim in the robbery, a 16-year-old boy, told police he was on the hunt to purchase a cellphone and found one that had been listed for sale by Moreno Arellano on Facebook Marketplace for $220. Moreno Arellano and the victim made several attempts to meet and make a deal for the phone, but the attempts failed and they eventually agreed to meet behind McDonalds on North Stratford Road on Tuesday, according to court documents.

The victim was met by Vazquez, Hunt and Sanchez at the location. The victim claimed Vazquez showed him the phone and went on to take the $220 from him without giving him the phone in return. The suspects began to walk away, with the victim following and demanding either his money back or the phone. Vazquez allegedly told Hunt to “pull it out” and Hunt pulled a dark colored pistol out of his waistband. Vazquez allegedly told the victim to “walk away, or you’ll get blasted” and “go back to your mommy.”

The suspects reportedly got into a Lincoln Navigator and fled the scene. A deputy with the Grant County Sheriff’s Office later found the Navigator outside of a residence in the 300 block of Offutt Drive. The three male suspects, as well as Moreno Arellano, were arrested at the scene.

Police applied for and were granted a search warrant for the Offutt Drive residence and reportedly found the victim’s $220, the phone that was up for sale and a loaded 9mm Taurus handgun in Vazquez’s bedroom. Hunt confirmed to police that he and the other suspects “met with a kid” behind McDonald's and Vazquez “took money from the kid.” Hunt denied being armed and claimed he didn’t know why the money was taken from the victim.

Moreno Arellano and Sanchez refused to cooperate with police. Vazquez initially answered a question from police, but quickly requested an attorney. One of Vazquez’s family members told police Vazquez has a previous felony conviction for robbery with a knife, according to court documents.

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