A 38-year-old Salem man has been arrested on new armed robbery and aggravated fleeing and eluding police charges less than a day after a judge had let him out of jail where he was being held following a June armed robbery and police chase.
Jarid Walker of Indiana Street is accused of entering the Farm Fresh Store at 501 South Poplar with his face covered and implying that he had a gun when demanding money from the cashier. The robbery attempt was unsuccessful and Walker fled the store in a vehicle.
Centralia Police patrol units arrived in the area within a minute and located the getaway vehicle that attempted to flee for a few blocks before stopping. Walker was then taken into custody without further incident and returned to the Marion County Jail where he had just been released on Friday on $100,000 personal recognizance bond.
Judge Mark Stedelin granted the recognizance bond release at the request of State’s Attorney Tim Hudspeth. The prosecutor faced a problem with the speedy trial rule after continuing Walker’s jury trial on the original armed robbery and aggravated fleeing charges that were filed following a June incident at Biggies on Route 161 and I-57. Public Defender Craig Griffin had objected to the release because it would stop the speedy trial clock from running.
Centralia Police Administrative Sergeant Steve Whritenour says the clerk at Farm Fresh did an excellent job relaying information about the robbery to the 911 dispatcher. In return, the dispatcher was able to quickly relay the information to the officers on the street.
Whritenour is commending the work of the patrol units, the 911 dispatcher, and the witnesses for quickly getting the case resolved. He adds ‘it’s a great example of our community working together.’
