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Alleged getaway driver in White City charged with robbery Daniel Aripez Monday Apr 24, 2017 at 3:15 PM Apr 24, 2017 at 8:00 PM Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune @VickieAldous Police have arrested a Medford man accused of being the getaway driver for a transient who allegedly wielded a machete while robbing a 76 gas station in White City in February. Daniel Antonio Aripez, 24, of the 2800 block of East McAndrews Road, entered not guilty pleas Monday to charges of first- and second-degree robbery for allegedly aiding and abetting the transient. He also entered not guilty pleas on heroin- and methamphetamine-possession charges in a separate case. Aripez has a pre-trial conference hearing scheduled for May 8 in Jackson County Circuit Court. Evidence obtained through a search warrant pointed to Aripez as the getaway driver for John Harry Wilkes, 29, described as a local transient with ties to White City and Grants Pass, court records show. Medford police located Aripez, who allegedly confessed to being the getaway driver and said Wilkes robbed the gas station, according to a probable cause affidavit by Medford police. Wilkes was arrested and lodged in the Jackson County Jail on March 8. His bail is set at $530,000. Aripez was arrested and lodged in jail on April 14. His bail is set at $110,000, according to jail records. Aripez allegedly told police the occupants in the getaway vehicle listened to a police scanner as they drove away from the scene and traveled to Gold Hill, then Medford, the affidavit said. Wilkes is scheduled to plead guilty to some or all of the charges against him Tuesday in relation to the gas station robbery. He was indicted on charges of first- and second-degree robbery, unlawful use of a weapon and second-degree theft, court records show. The alleged robbery happened at 11:30 p.m. on Feb 19, when a man approached a gas-station attendant near the intersection of Highway 62 and Antelope Road and asked for a pack of cigarettes. The man told the attendant he had forgotten his wallet and would be right back. When the man returned, he was wearing gloves and a bandana and carrying a machete, police said. The man stole $198 from a cash register plus a pack of cigarettes, then fled across Highway 62 to a dark-colored sedan with LED headlights, according to an affidavit. No one was injured in the robbery, according to police. Reach staff reporter Vickie Aldous at 541-776-4486 or [email protected]. Follow her at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous.