It started with taunts. Then it became a robbery

What started with taunts inside of Columbia Center Mall turned into a robbery in the parking lot Saturday night.

The 15-year-old victim told police he was inside the mall near Sears sometime before 8 p.m. when he heard Matthias Benavidez, 20, taunting him and a group of his friends, said Kennewick Officer Aaron Hamel.

It’s unclear from the reports how long Benavidez followed him through the mall.

When the victim left the building, Benavidez drove up to him and demanded money.

The teen felt threatened, and gave him cash.

Benavidez didn’t use a weapon.

While he was gone when police arrived, Benavidez allegedly turned himself in and handed over the cash taken during the night.

He was booked into Benton County jail for second-degree robbery.

This story was originally published January 7, 2018 at 10:16 AM with the headline "It started with taunts. Then it became a robbery."