Two men charged in Hispanic business robbery spree

By Kendall Watson • March 3, 2009 12:53 pm

Prosecutors filed charges Tuesday against two local men for the targeted robbery of several Hispanic businesses on the Eastside and in Snohomish County over the past three months.

The King County Prosecutor’s Office formally charged Kingsgate resident Luis Fernando Koyoc-ek, 33, and Woodinville resident Oscar Chavarria-Sotelo, 24, with a total of eight counts of first-degree robbery in Superior Court.

Police said the pair are responsible for at least one armed robby in Bellevue, plus two armed robberies in Kirkland, three in Redmond and others in King and Snohomish counties. The Bellevue robbery was at the Mexi Mart, 1313 156th Ave NE #120, across from Crossroads Bellevue Mall.

Kirkland Police Lt. Mike Ursino said investigators from five law enforcement agencies coordinated the investigation of Koyoc-Ek and Chavarria-Sotelo, who were both arrested at their homes and held at the Kirkland jail Feb. 12.

Bail was set at $100,000 for Koyoc-ek and $50,000 for Chavarria-Sotelo.

According to prosecutors, the crime spree began in Nov. 30 in Redmond when Koyok-ek and Chavarria-Sotelo allegedly threatened staff at Preciado Northwest (8048 161st Ave. N.E.) with a gun. The suspects fled the store with $2,000 in cash and jewelry, according Redmond Police spokesperson Jim Bove.

Then the two men struck a Kirkland business at gunpoint Jan. 16 near the Totem Square Shopping Center. According to the police report, the men demanded money from a female cashier while pointing a handgun at her head. Koyoc-ek continued to grab the tip jar and dump the money inside a backpack. Neither of the men wore gloves and police later tracked them down using fingerprints from the jar.

The two men allegedly robbed a store at gunpoint in Bellevue on Jan. 21. taking $30 in cash, 12 watches, and 30 pairs of earrings.

On Jan. 24, the two men entered Tienda Mi Mazatlan, 16720 Redmond Way, Suite D, and one pulled out a handgun and demanded money from the female clerk. The suspects took off with $600 in cash. Then on Jan. 31, just one man entered the store, pointed a gun at a female clerk and threatened to shoot her if she didn’t hand over the money, Bove said. Koyok-ek then allegedly told her to lie down and count to 10, as he ran out of the store with just over $400.