Two teenagers accused in an armed robbery at a Vancouver convenience store appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court.
Charles Ferguson, 18, of Vancouver, and Tyrique Hardnett, 16, of Tualatin, Ore., appeared on suspicion of first-degree robbery in connection with the Wednesday morning incident at a 7-Eleven. Hardnett was automatically remanded to Superior Court based on his age and the nature of the allegation.
Vancouver police were dispatched at about 1:30 a.m. to the market at 3200 E. Fourth Plain Blvd. for a reported armed robbery.
The on-duty clerk told 911 that her store was robbed by two males. She said one suspect was white and the other black; both had their faces covered. The white male, later identified by police as Ferguson, wore a blue bandana over his face and the other suspect, identified as Hardnett, wore a white surgical-style mask, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The clerk said the robber with the surgical mask pointed a black handgun at her and yelled, “Give me the money” and “We’re not playing around.” She gave them about $40 in $1 and $5 bills, and they ran out the front of the store, a separate probable cause affidavit stated.
A witness followed their vehicle until it came to St. Johns Road and then turned east on state Highway 500, court records said.
The vehicles then came upon the scene of an accident near Falk Road, where several Washington State Patrol troopers were directing traffic. The witness got the attention of a trooper and told him what occurred. The troopers detained the suspect vehicle, which was occupied by Ferguson, Hardnett and two other males, according to court documents.
Police said $1 and $5 bills littered the backseat of the car. Ferguson allegedly told police they hadn’t planned to rob the store and didn’t know why they did, the affidavit said. He added that Hardnett had the gun, and he wasn’t sure if it is real, court records stated.
Judge Robert Lewis on Thursday provided the teens with attorneys and set Ferguson’s bail at $25,000 and Hardnett’s at $30,000.
They will be arraigned Sept. 8.
