NEW CASTLE —
Two people are being charged Wednesday in connection with last week’s robbery at the Huntington Bank in New Wilmington.
The pair, who are boyfriend and girlfriend and have a child together, allegedly aborted two previous bank robbery attempts that day — at the New Wilmington bank and at one in Volant.
Accused are Jason Anthony Walzer, 36, of Hubbard, Ohio, formerly of Bend Road in New Wilmington, and Sandra Carol Guthrie, 23, of Koppel.
New Wilmington Police Chief Carmen Piccirillo confirmed Wednesday morning both are in the Beaver County jail and will be arraigned in Lawrence County after charges are filed.
They face muliple charges in connection with the Jan. 24 robbery at the bank branch on Market Street, where they allegedly made off with about $1,100.
Piccirillo said bank security tapes show that just minutes before the robbery, Walzer had been to the Northwest Savings Bank branch in Volant and had been planning to execute a robbery with a demand note but left the bank.
Through investigation and networking with state police in Pennsylvania and Ohio, officers learned Guthrie was Walzer’s alleged accomplice, and they alerted police in Beaver County of the couple’s whereabouts.
The pair were arrested in a traffic stop in Beaver County Friday.
New Wilmington police plan to file charges of robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, terroristic threats, conspiracy to commit terroristic threats, hindering apprehension by destroying evidence, conspiracy to hinder apprehension, receiving stolen property and conspiracy to receive stolen property.
No one was injured in the robbery, which occurred about 2:45 p.m. Bank personnel told police a man had entered the bank and passed a note demanding money. The note said the man had a gun, but no weapon was seen.
The suspect fled and, a short time later, a New Wilmington officer stopped a car for speeding on Route 208 east of the borough. However, the officer let the car go when the robbery call was transmitted.
Later, it was theorized the robber may have been driving the car that had been stopped. That vehicle had a female passenger.
The officer determined the car was an older model Buick and obtained a partial Ohio license plate number. Police throughout the region were searching for the car throughout the day and vehicle records were checked to identify it.
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