An 18-year-old Port Townsend man was arrested Monday night for allegedly attempting first-degree robbery at Sea Breeze Gas & Grocery.

Port Townsend police officers were dispatched to Sea Breeze at 1408 Sims Way at 9:08 p.m., Monday, Feb. 6. A 49-year-old female employee told officers that a man had come into the store, demanding she give him the money from the register or he would beat her with a stick he was carrying, according to a press release from Detective Patrick Fudally.

The suspect left the store before police arrived, without the employee turning over any money.

The clerk told police the suspect was wearing goggles, similar to those of a biplane pilot, as well as a black hoodie and a beanie.

With the assistance of a Washington State Patrol trooper, the suspect was located a short distance away near Hendricks and Seventh streets, police said.

The man was determined to be the suspect by his goggles and beanie, Sgt. Troy Surber told The Leader.

The suspect was identified as Elijah Maxwell, an 18-year-old Port Townsend resident. He graduated with the Port Townsend High School Class of 2016.

During the investigation, the officers found the suspect in possession of a screwdriver. A stick the suspect had reportedly been carrying was found near the Smoker Friendly smoke shop next to the Sea Breeze store. Officers found the stick to be an approximately 4-foot-long wooden handle from a garden tool, possibly a shovel, that still had metal wrapped around one end.

According to police, Maxwell told investigating officers that he’d gone into the Sea Breeze to obtain money to “get out of this town.”

Maxwell was booked into Jefferson County Jail Feb. 6 for attempted robbery in the first degree, a felony, and is being held on $5,000 bail. He’s set to be arraigned Feb. 10 in Jefferson County Superior Court.