SEATTLE — Seattle Police arrested the robber they dubbed the "Bob the Builder Bandit" because he was always dressed as a construction worker.
When they arrested him in Georgetown Wednesday night, they discovered his true identity, David Corneilus Conyers.
Conyers, 42, is no stranger to the criminal justice system. He was the youngest man sentenced to life in prison under Washington's "Three Strikes" law. After a robbery conviction in 1995, he was supposed to spend the rest of his life in prison.
Instead after Conyers served just over 20 years, Governor Jay Inslee, with the support of King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg and the sentencing judge, decided to commute his sentence and release Conyers.
Conyers was released from prison in December 2016.
Investigators said he was still on work release when he began his recent robbery spree, robbing six pharmacies and grocery markets in Seattle in the last six weeks.
Chris Heath was working at Pike Grocery on February 6th when police said Conyers implied he had a gun and robbed Heath, who was working the cash register. Heath knew the "Bob the Builder Bandit" was arrested on Wednesday night; he didn't know the suspect was released from prison early.
"Letting him out was a really stupid idea because people like that apparently don't change or don't want to, and this was proof of it," said Heath. When asked what he'd like the governor to know, he said, "Don't do that again. If someone is put under that situation, don't let them out because you put them in place for a reason."
Governor Jay Inslee defended his decision to commute the life sentence, saying he had the support of the prosecutor and the sentencing judge. He did express his frustration with Conyers. "For someone to get a second chance like that and blow it, that's maddening," said Governor Inslee.
Conyers waived his court hearing on Thursday. The judge set his bail at $500,000. If Conyers is convicted of robbery, he will be sentenced to life in prison again, and prosecutors said that makes him a flight risk.
Conyers is scheduled to be back in court on March 13.