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Man flees cops after robbing store clerk

COLUMBIANA

A clerk at the Save-A-Lot on Fairfield Avenue was grabbed and robbed by a man who entered the store after it closed Thursday evening.

According to Police Chief Tim Gladis, an unarmed white male entered the store through an unlocked employee entrance at 9:20 p.m. and grabbed a clerk from behind, pushed her to the front of the store and demanded money. The cash registers were empty by then because the store had closed 20 minutes before, so the suspect took the clerk’s purse and fled.

Sgt. Chris Dailey and Officer Bryan Granchie responded immediately and began searching the area, with Granchie coming across the suspect near the intersection of Fairfield School and Metz roads. When Granchie exited his cruiser the suspect ran into the woods and then some heavy brush, with the officer giving chase.

When Granchie got close enough he fired his Taser, which brought the suspect to the ground, but he jumped up immediately and ran onto the heavy brush. Granchie followed him in but gave up and had to crawl out of the brush on his hands and knees. Gladis said the suspect was “bulked up with heavy clothing, which is maybe why the Taser didn’t take him all the way down.”

Tracking dogs from the East Palestine, Beaver Township and Springfield police departments assisted in trying to locate the suspect through the heavy brush, but they were unsuccessful. The dogs were able to recover some clothing the suspect apparently shed, such as a hooded sweatshirt, along with the clerk’s purse.

Gladis said the robber tried to obscure his face by wearing a ballcap and sunglasses, so the clerk did not get a good look. They are continuing to gather evidence and will be reviewing surveillance video.

The victim did not sustain any serious injuries, and the officers were cut up somewhat by the thorns and briars encountered in the brush.

Police are asking anyone with information about the robbery or whose home surveillance camera may have captured images of the suspect to call police at 330-482-9292. Anonymous tips can be submitted by going to www.columbianaohio.org or the police department’s page on the website.

“This is only the second robbery in the city in the last eight years, and that is two too many. Our officers are highly motivated to find the suspect,” Gladis said, in a news release.

tgiambroni@mojonews.com

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