SPOKANE, WA – A man accused of pulling a weapon on a store employee during an armed robbery was arrested Tuesday afternoon after Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies tracked him down on a public transit bus.

The incident began around 1:50 p.m. on July 9, when deputies responded to a report of an armed robbery at a business in the 12300 block of N. Division Street. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the suspect allegedly stole a charging block and, when confronted by an employee, brandished a knife before fleeing the scene.

The suspect, later identified as 21-year-old Michael Y. Grebenchuk, reportedly raised the knife in a threatening manner, causing the employee to fear for his life. Witnesses described the suspect as a white male in his 30s wearing a teal shirt and long pants.

Deputies quickly began canvassing the area and noticed two STA buses leaving the Hastings Park and Ride. With assistance from STA dispatch and regional emergency communications, they determined Grebenchuk may have boarded one of the buses.

Officers located and stopped the bus near Franklin Park. Given reports that the suspect was armed, deputies evacuated the passengers before taking Grebenchuk into custody without incident.

A stolen charging block was recovered and returned to the store. Deputies also found a multi-tool with an axe and hammer head and a glass pipe containing suspected drug residue in Grebenchuk’s belongings.

Grebenchuk reportedly told deputies he pulled the weapon to scare the employee and later admitted, “I should have gotten off the bus earlier, and I almost got away with it.”

He was booked into the Spokane County Jail for Robbery in the First Degree, Theft in the Third Degree, and Possession of a Controlled Substance.