Intended victim thwarts robbery in parking lot

HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Police said a couple of would-be, strong-arm robbers picked the wrong victim when they approached a man in the Shop N' Save parking lot at 2191 E. State St.
The intended victim, a 35-year-old man, had just put his grocery items in his car and was putting his change in his wallet when two men in an older Oldsmobile pulled up beside him in the lot around 8 p.m. Friday.
The passenger got out of the car and demanded the man's wallet, police said.
The man refused and, when the would-be robber started to approach him, took some preventive action, punching the would-be robber in the face and knocking him down, police said.
At that point, the driver of the Oldsmobile advised his passenger to get back into the car, and they fled the lot, police said.
The would-be robber was described as a white man between age 20 and 25, about 6 feet tall with a thin build and sandy, long hair.
The blue Oldsmobile appeared to be in bad shape and had Ohio registration plates, police said.