Ephrata armed robbery suspect captured

EPHRATA — An armed robbery suspect who was on run from police was captured at a home in Ephrata on Thursday.

Silva surrendered and was taken into custody a little after noon at a home on Junes Court in Ephrata. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office offered a $1,000 reward on Wednesday for information leading to the arrest of Silva. Silva is facing charges of first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in Grant County Superior Court. His bail was previously set at $500,000.

Police have been looking for Silva since Aug. 13, when he allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint at an apartment complex in the 1400 block of Basin Street Southwest in Ephrata. In the incident two Hispanic males allegedly showed up at the location and knocked on the door of an apartment. As they were leaving one of the two men asked one of the victims in the incident for a cigarette.

Silva reportedly returned a short time later. He allegedly pointed a gun at two males on the porch of an apartment, demanded money, pointed a gun at one of the victim’s forehead and demanded he give him his belongings. Court documents show Silva fired a round into a nearby couch and pointed the weapon at the victim again. The victim turned over his wallet and fled the area on foot. Silva’s sister, 27-year-old Leslie Silva Diaz, reportedly admitted to picking up her brother and two other unidentified people in the Safeway parking lot after the shooting.

Video surveillance reportedly shows Alfredo Silva in his sister’s vehicle going through a wallet. Leslie Silva Diaz was later apprehended and police were able to obtain a search warrant for her apartment and recovered a credit card and social security card, both of which belonged to the robbery victim. She is facing a charge of rendering criminal assistance.

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