Two arrests made in connection with Plaid Pantry robbery

James Johnson

Michael Patch

Tips provided by the public and follow-up work by McMinnville police detectives have led to two arrests in connection with last Monday morning's armed robbery of the Plaid Pantry convenience store.

Capt. Tim Symons identified the suspects as James Allen Johnson, 21, of Amity, and Michael William Patch, 36, of Yamhill.

Patch was charged with one count each of first-degree robbery, third-degree theft, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon. He is lodged in the Yamhill County Jail on a no-bail hold for violating his post-prison supervision.

Johnson was charged with one count each of first-degree robbery, third-degre theft and reckless driving. He is lodged on $157,500 bail.

They were each scheduled for arraignment Monday afternoon in circuit court.

"We appreciate the information we got and the detectives did a great job following up on all the leads," Symons said. "These don't always get solved."

Symons added, "We want to bring them to a good conclusion and hold people accountable for the crimes they've committed."

Police gave this account of the incident:

Patch allegedly entered the store, located at Northeast 19th and Baker streets, garbed all in black and confronted the clerk with a dark-colored handgun.

He was wearing gloves, a face mask and hooded sweatshirt with pants featuring a white patch on the left front and black patch on the right rear.

He took less than $100 in cash, which he stuffed into a jacket pocket as he headed to a waiting car on 19th Street. It was allegedly driven away westbound by Johnson.

The sheriff's office, Yamhill County Interagency Narcotics Team and Oregon State Police assisted McMinnville police in locating Johnson and Patch and taking them into custody.