YAKIMA, Wash. – A Wapato man is facing charges for robbing a Walmart in Yakima and pointing a pistol at an employee, according to court documents.
A probable cause document says that on the evening of May 29, 2024, law enforcement were called to the Walmart on East Chestnut Avenue for reports of a theft and that the suspect had run away.
An officer later found Deon Xavier Smartlowit-Billy, 24, escaping on a bike and put him into custody.
Another officer spoke with a Walmart employee, who alleged that Smartlowit-Billy had stolen several items from the store and had pointed a gun at him.
When detained, officers found a stolen backpack, a bag of cereal, a box of donuts, a padlock, several Pop-Tarts and other items totaling nearly $80 in value.
Smartlowit-Billy had also allegedly been involved in a similar situation on March 18, 2024, where court documents say he tried stealing around $600 worth of items from the Valley Mall before being caught. He had been let go following the arrest and was notified that he would eventually be summoned to court.
Court documents say Smartlowit-Billy is facing first degree robbery, second degree assault and second degree unlawful firearm possession charges for the May incident and second degree unlawful firearm possession and burglary for the March incident. His bail is set for a combined total of $35,000 and he will be arraigned for both incidents together.
