EVERETT — A Bothell woman has admitted to holding up a minimart with a pellet gun in October.
The crime made headlines in part because the surveillance footage showed the robber wearing a business suit. Police tracked down a suspect after witnesses provided details about her getaway in a silver Mercedes convertible with a blue soft top.
Two convenience stores were hit within 20 minutes of each other. One was in Bothell, and one was nearby in unincorporated Snohomish County.
Prosecutors agreed not to pursue charges against Sunita Reena Kelleppan, 46, on the second robbery.
As part of that negotiation, she pleaded guilty June 13 to one count of first-degree robbery. She also fessed up to using a pellet gun that looked like a semi-automatic pistol, court papers show.
During one of the heists, she pressed the weapon to the store manager’s forehead. The manager told police that Kelleppan was a frequent customer but this time she smelled of alcohol. She took $86 in cash and packs of Marlboro Red cigarettes, he said. The second robbery netted a larger amount of money.
Sentencing is set for July 10 in Snohomish County Superior Court. Under state guidelines, Kelleppan faces up to 3½ years in prison. Until the robberies, she had no felonies. She has five misdemeanors for driving-related offenses.
No motive is described in court papers. Kelleppan’s landlord told police she had recently gone through a bad breakup and might have lost her job.
A bail bond was posted in December for $100,000.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @rikkiking.
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