Robbery suspect arrested

COEUR d'ALENE — A Post Falls man arrested last week for a robbery in Ellensburg, Wash., is now a person of interest in four local robberies in October, according to police.

Jonathan Edward Pena, 39, was being held at the Kootenai County jail on Monday on a $1 million bond as a fugitive from justice, a $300 bond for possession of drug paraphernalia and a $1,000 bond for open container of alcohol.

Pena was arrested by last week by Coeur d'Alene Police on a warrant issued by Ellensburg Police. He is the suspect in a Nov. 5 robbery at liquor and wine store in the central Washington city.

"It is our understanding that he was just passing through on his way to the west side to visit family in the Yakima area," said Ellensburg Police Capt. Dan Hansberry.

Hansberry said his department received multiple tips on the case, but he declined to specify what those tips were. Surveillance footage around the time the robbery occurred was then obtained that matched the description of the car Pena was driving.

The information led Ellensburg to contact the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force, which is investigating three Coeur d'Alene robberies which occurred within three days of each other — The Liquor Store, 1607 Northwest Blvd.; Quality Inn, 280 W. Appleway Ave.; and Cenex Zip Trip, 1427 E. Best Ave. The first local business that was robbed was Frontier Grocery, 2707 W. Seltice Way.

"Pena is a person of interest (in the Post Falls case), but he is not talking," Post Falls Police Capt. Greg McLean said. "We just don't have enough evidence to charge him yet."

Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Brandon McCormick said an investigation also continues with the Coeur d'Alene cases.

The suspect escaped with an undisclosed amount of money in all of the cases except at the Zip Trip, where the employee declined to hand over cash and walked to the back room.

The white male suspect in all of the cases is described as 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10 and between 160 and 190 pounds. A scarf, bandana or mask was used to cover the man's face in all of the incidents.

The only case in which a weapon was displayed was at the Quality Inn in which the suspect held a knife to his side.

Pena was booked in the local jail nine previous times since 2009, including on charges of battery, reckless driving and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia.