Robbery charge for man who allegedly stole cigarettes, threatened to kill employee of Lacey gas station

A 30-year-old man was arrested and charged after he allegedly stole a pack of cigarettes and threatened to kill the employee of a gas station in Lacey.

According to a document from the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney dated Dec. 8, Michael William Pond of Aberdeen was charged with second-degree robbery.

Lacey police said Pond was arrested on Dec. 4 after a reported theft at the 76 Fuel Station on College Street.

The gas station employee said he got into a verbal altercation with Pond after he refused service to the suspect, who claimed that he was supposed to get free cigarettes because he supposedly owned the 76 Fuel Station and a tobacco distribution business.

The employee said Pond entered the store and “aggressively” sprinted to the back of the counter to grab a pack of cigarettes.

After he attempted to stop Pond from grabbing more cigarette packs, the employee said, the suspect told him to “Get out of my way or I’ll murder you!”

Asked by police whether he believed that Pond would carry out his threat to kill, the employee responded, “Very much so.”

Police noted that the employee appeared “visibly afraid” and was shaking from the incident.

Officials located Pond in a nearby motel. The suspect insisted to authorities that he was with the Department of Defense and demanded to speak with the chief of police for wasting his time.

Pond was booked at the Thurston County Jail for second-degree robbery. The cigarette pack was returned to the gas station employee.