Columbia Robbery Arrest

Columbia, CA — The Sheriff’s Office says a man pointed a gun at a Columbia mini-mart clerk and demanded money.

It happened Sunday at 3:30pm at the R&L Mini-Mart on Parrotts Ferry Road. Sgt. Jeff Wilson of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office says the man, identified as 31-year-old Matthew Williams Birdsong, was armed with a semi-automatic handgun. The clerk gave Birdsong an undisclosed amount of money, after he threatened to kill her, and Birdsong ran from the store towards Columbia.

Deputies responded and spotted Birdsong sprinting towards the nearby Sierra Commons Apartments. Further investigation led them to a specific apartment building within the complex, and they demanded that he come outside. Right as the SWAT Team was prepared to break in, Birdsong surrendered and was arrested. Officials recovered the stolen money and the weapon. No one was injured. The Sheriff’s Office reports that the investigation is ongoing. Birdsong is a transient without a permanent address.

Sheriff’s Office Update: Several items of evidence were collected at the business, and apartment, including the AB 109 GPS tracker anklet Birdsong was supposed to be wearing but had removed.