A Long Beach, Calif., man is in the Nez Perce County Jail on a $100,000 bond charged with two felony counts of robbery for recent convenience store holdups.

Chris A. Prelle, 59, was arraigned by video Wednesday in Nez Perce County Magistrate Court by Judge Gregory Kalbfleisch, who set a preliminary hearing in the case for Nov. 18.

Lewiston Police say Prelle robbed two Lewiston convenience stores on Oct. 27 and Monday. He allegedly pulled out a .38 revolver in both robberies, demanding cash from the registers from Liberty Mart in North Lewiston and from Xpress Mart at 738 Bryden Ave. in the Lewiston Orchards. Police say he got away with about $500 in each incident.

Prelle demanded the money from Caleb J. Springer, who was working the register at Liberty Mart on Oct. 27, and Joshua I. Millar, who was at the Xpress Mart cash register Monday night, court records said. Springer told police Prelle said “if he did not give him the money he would shoot him.”

Moscow Police stopped Prelle on Monday night driving a gunmetal gray 2018 Nissan Titan pickup truck. Lewiston Police detectives interviewed Prelle at 3 a.m. Tuesday in the Moscow Police Station, where “Prelle then admitted that he did rob the Xpress Mart and Liberty Mart North with a .38 special revolver.”

Prelle told police he was broke and did not want to hurt anyone. He told police the revolver was not loaded, court records said.

Prelle did not have a prior criminal record and was living with his sister in Clarkston while on disability, his attorney Travis Hartshorn said at the arraignment.

The maximum penalty for robbery in Idaho is life in prison and a $50,000 fine. Robbery also carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison if he is convicted on the charges.