When a La Center police officer pulled over a vehicle associated with an armed robbery at an Interstate 5 rest stop on March 18, the suspect’s 6-year-old son was found to be holding a knife and a methamphetamine pipe.
The boy told police his 33-year-old father, a Renton resident, handed him the items before police stopped the car, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in Clark County Superior Court.
Courtney P. Prosser faces charges of first-degree robbery, possession of a stolen vehicle and possession of methamphetamine. Prosser made an initial court appearance a day after the arrest, and his bail was set at $150,000. His arraignment is set for March 30.
Law enforcement had been dispatched to the armed robbery at the Gee Creek Rest Area early Sunday afternoon.
The victim, Anthony D. Cavallo, said he was approached by a man driving a silver Mercedes sedan. He said the man threatened him with a knife before brandishing a black pistol, according to the probable cause affidavit.
The man took Cavallo’s cellphone and threatened to take his car, police said. However, he fled in the Mercedes, heading north onto Northeast 65th Avenue.
Cavallo reportedly followed his robber. He relayed to police that the man threw a black object out of the passenger-side window of the vehicle.
A La Center police officer spotted the Mercedes as it was turning from Northeast Timmen Road onto Northwest La Center Road. The pullover happened further into town near West Third Street, and the officer called for backup from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Once deputies arrived, they detained Prosser and two boys, ages 6 and 12, according to the probable cause affidavit.
“(T)he 6-year-old son was in possession of a folding black bladed pocket knife and a glass stem pipe. (The boy) said that his father handed him the items. … Residue in the glass pipe was field tested,” and the results indicated the presence of meth residue, the affidavit says.
Officers also determined the Mercedes had been reported stolen from Auburn. They found the rest area victim’s phone on Prosser; Cavallo ID’d the suspect on the spot, police said.
The incident ended without physical violence, but the sheriff’s office does not recommend people follow suspects, said Sgt. Brent Waddell.
“We recommend being a better witness by getting the vehicle’s license plate number, a vehicle description, a description of the person and their clothing, tattoos and anything unusual, and a description of the weapon,” Waddell said in an email.
“The biggest thing is safety — getting to a safe place as soon as possible and not putting yourself further in harm’s way.”
