$75,000 bail set for Lacey assault, robbery suspects

A Thurston County judge has set bail at $75,000 each for Ronald K. Sakis, 34, and Craig H. Wallace, 30, the suspects in a Monday night robbery and assault.

The two suspects appeared before Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon on Thursday. The judge found probable cause for two felony charges for Sakis: first-degree robbery while armed with a deadly weapon, and second-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon.

For Wallace, Dixon found probable cause for four charges: first-degree robbery while armed with a deadly weapon, first-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen firearm.

The Lacey Police Department began investigating the two men after a man arrived at Providence St. Peter Hospital with stab wounds, according to court documents. Officers interviewed the victim, who said he had been stabbed during a robbery.

The victim said he and two friends had been sitting in a parked car near the MOD Pizza at 5218 Yelm Highway in Lacey. Wallace, who worked at MOD Pizza and knew the victim’s friends, walked out to the car, according to court documents.

Then an SUV pulled up behind the parked car, and a man climbed out. He opened the rear passenger door of the car, displayed a handgun and demanded money. He then opened the front passenger door and grabbed the victim’s wallet and backpack.

The victims got out of the car and struggled with the man over the taken items. The victim was stabbed several times, according to court documents.

Police went to Wallace’s house, and talked to a woman who said she was the mother of Sakis’ child. She said she drives a SUV matching the description of the one that the robbery suspect arrived in. They searched a backpack belonging to Wallace and located a gun that had been reported stolen, according to court documents.

Officers interviewed Wallace and Sakis. Wallace said he had been invited to smoke marijuana Monday night with the victim and his friends, and didn’t know about the robbery before it happened, according to court documents. He also said he didn’t know the gun was in his backpack.

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 4:40 PM with the headline "$75,000 bail set for Lacey assault, robbery suspects."