Kennewick robbery suspect arrested after pepper spraying clerk to steal cash

A suspected robber, who pepper sprayed a clerk and grabbed a cash register, is in jail.

Kennewick police detectives identified Aldo Vargas, 26, of Kennewick, as the man who robbed stores early on Oct. 11 and Oct. 14.

In the first case, the robber grabbed a cash register from a convenience store 2:38 a.m. at 2600 block of West Kennewick Avenue. He was last seen running from the scene.

Then three days later, the same person went to the Grand Central Coffee Station on Clearwater Avenue just before 3:45 a.m. and pepper sprayed the clerk before grabbing the register and running off.

Police released video of the suspect and later tracked him to a home on the 2600 block of Oak Street and with the help of Richland and Pasco police and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, they arrested Vargas.

They also served a search warrant and recovered items tied to the robberies, they said.

Vargas was booked into the Benton County jail on suspicion of first- and second-degree robbery. He also had other warrants related to thefts.