A Tumwater man faces allegations he participated in the burglary and theft of a downtown Centralia arcade before engaging in a violent armed robbery in a nearby park the next day.
Malachi T. Swaydis, 20, had been wanted by the Centralia Police Department for weeks, before he was ultimately captured by officers in Fife during an apparent shift at a local Jimmy John’s restaurant on Wednesday, March 18.
Swaydis is charged with one count each of first-degree accomplice liability robbery, second-degree accomplice liability assault and second-degree burglary, along with two counts of third-degree theft.
Swaydis faces up to life in prison for the first-degree robbery charge. He made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court on Thursday.
As of presstime, Swaydis was being held in the Lewis County Jail in lieu of $500,000 bail — the amount set in his arrest warrant — pending a review hearing to determine his attorney status.
That hearing was scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Swaydis is also charged in an unrelated case with three total counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a pistol by a person 18 to 21 years of age and carrying a concealed pistol.
A no-bail bench warrant was issued in that case on March 5, after Swaydis failed to appear for an arraignment earlier that day.
During Thursday’s preliminary hearing, Judge Joely Yeager referenced the other pending case, saying Swaydis had pushed his arraignment for months after reportedly hiring an attorney that, according to Yeager, was not found anywhere in the Washington State Bar Association.
Swaydis replied that he had learned the attorney was not licensed. He maintained that he still wished to hire private counsel.
Yeager set bail for that case at $500,000, putting the combined bail at $1 million between the two cases.
At the beginning of the hearing, Rachael Tiller, Swaydis’ attorney for the day, said that Swaydis had refused to meet with her before his court appearance.
As a result, Yeager read the new charges to Swaydis, who called one of the counts “crazy,” saying it was “for candy.”
The Centralia Police Department issued a news release on Thursday describing the investigation that led to Swaydis’ arrest.
According to the release, police responded to a robbery report involving a firearm on Feb. 27.
“The victim was met by a group at a local park and was assaulted — punched and struck with a pistol — during the robbery,” the release states. “Three juvenile suspects were arrested shortly after the incident, and a fourth, days later. Through continued investigation, Swaydis was identified as one of the primary suspects and a $500,000 warrant was issued for his arrest.”
Police later determined Swaydis was in Fife and located him at a Jimmy John’s restaurant during an apparent shift.
“Swaydis attempted to run from the arresting officers but was quickly apprehended and placed under arrest without further incident,” the release states.
The release includes a picture of an apron-clad Swaydis standing on the counter of the restaurant in what appears to be an escape in progress.
A second picture shows a figure — presumably Swaydis — on the floor inside the restaurant, surrounded by multiple officers.
In its release, the Centralia Police Department thanked the Olympia Police Department, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Tumwater Police Department, Chehalis Police Department and “especially the Fife Police Department for their exceptional assistance and partnership in locating and apprehending the suspect.”
The department also noted that Swaydis and the other suspects were suspected of burglarizing a downtown Centralia business the night prior to the robbery.
That business, according to the probable cause affidavit filed by the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office, is Insert Coin, the local arcade and restaurant on North Tower Avenue.
According to the affidavit, Swaydis is allegedly seen on security footage entering an “employees only” section and stealing “a handful of items,” while another male stands by the counter.
Swaydis, the other male and three others allegedly return a short time later to steal more items.
The manager told police that the group stole approximately $140 worth of candy and toys.
On Feb. 27, police responded to the reported assault on Meridian Avenue.
Upon arrival, officers reportedly observed the victim “sitting on the stairs with his face and his head covered in blood,” according to the affidavit.
Officers noted his “eyes were swollen shut and his face showed severe injuries.”
According to the affidavit, the victim said “he had been smoking marijuana in the park with the suspects and that one of them struck him multiple times with a Glock-style pistol.”
The victim accused the suspects of stealing his keys, wallet and phone during the assault.
Police later identified Swaydis as a suspect through further investigation, the affidavit states.
