Homeless man attacks manager of Moses Lake tobacco shop | Columbia Basin

MOSES LAKE – On the morning of July 12, Moses Lake Police responded to an assault at Big Smoke, 705 S Pioneer Way. The incident was reported at 9:28 a.m. and involved an assault by a homeless man on the store manager.

When officers arrived, they found the manager with a busted lip and bleeding mouth. According to the victim, the altercation began when she approached the suspect, who was loitering outside the store, and ordered him to leave. The man responded by punching her in the face before fleeing the scene.

Police immediately launched an investigation to identify and locate the suspect. At approximately 12:02 p.m., officers successfully arrested the man responsible for the robbery. The suspect, identified as Gage Velpel, a 33-year-old Seattle man, was arrested and charged with third- and fourth-degree assault.

During the arrest, Velpel reportedly resisted arrest and assaulted a police officer. Despite this, officers were able to subdue him and take him to the Grant County Jail, where he was arrested on multiple counts of assault.