Arrest made four minutes after robbery reported

A 17-year-old barista in Okanogan tried to hide in the bathroom after a young man came into the Free Bird Coffee Stand on North Second Avenue, asked for water, then demanded everything they had.

Okanogan County Sheriff Tony Hawley said the young woman was dragged out of the bathroom by the suspect, a man with tattoos on his face wearing a black jacket and white T-shirt.

He left headed south, she told police.

They were called at 3:10 p.m. Sept. 9, Hawley said. At 3:14, after Omak police, multiple sheriff’s deputies and the Washington State Patrol responded, a suspect was arrested in the alley behind the post office.

Steven Mejia, 29, of Yakima was booked into Okanogan County Jail about four blocks away for robbery, attempted kidnapping, and first-degree assault.