Armed robbery suspect faces methamphetamine charge

A local man has been arrested for the armed robbery of 7 Market, in Camas.

Keki Kiril Silva McKendree, 23, of Washougal, was located in the backyard of a waterfront home in the 2200 block of Southeast 12th Avenue, in Camas, Wednesday, at 11:45 a.m.

There was no contact with McKendree and homeowners in the area, according to Camas Public Information Officer Debrah Riedl.

“He was caught so quickly and was hunkered down in the bushes,” she said Thursday.

Washougal police had located the suspect’s car unattended in the Port of Camas-Washougal marina parking lot, 24 S. “A” St., Washougal.

Washougal and Camas police, along with Clark County Sheriff’s deputies, set up a containment area for K-9 officer Ranger to track the suspect.

The robbery at 3520 N.E. Third Ave., occurred at approximately 10:10 a.m., when a man entered the convenience store and hit a display case with an ax.

The case contained knives and wallets.

“He said, ‘give me the money,'” the owner of 7 Market, Nam Yang recalled shortly after the incident, regarding the suspect. “He had a woman’s purse.”

“I said, ‘I don’t have any money,'” Yang added.

The suspect then hit Yang on the head with the wood handle of the ax.

The suspect threw the purse at Yang, and also left the ax behind. No one else was in the store at the time of the attempted robbery.

The purse, which belongs to a friend of the suspect, contained credit cards.

Yang sustained an abrasion and a bump on his head. He refused medical treatment.

According to Riedl, the suspect fled in an older red Chrysler Sebring.

At that time, the suspect’s mother called 911 to request a mental health check for her son. She was concerned about his wellbeing, and she described the car he was driving.

“The mother had been following him in her vehicle, and she lost him in the One Stop area,” Riedl said.

McKendree was booked into the Clark County Jail Wednesday, at 6:51 p.m., on one count of first-degree robbery, possession of stolen property (the purse) and possession of methamphetamine. He had his first appearance in Clark County Superior Court, Thursday.

Yang has owned 7 Market for almost nine years. This was the first robbery at his business.

Yang was assisting customers shortly after the incident.