Sharon police arrest suspect in dairy robbery

SHARON, Pa. -- Police nabbed a man wanted for the strong-arm robbery of a clerk at the Dean Dairy plant in South Pymatuning Township.
Sharon authorities said Channing Harris, age and address unknown, was picked up around 2 p.m. Friday in the 500 block of Spruce Avenue on charges of criminal trespass and possession of drug paraphernalia.
He is believed to be in his mid-30s and homeless, police said.
He was arraigned before District Justice James McMahon before being turned over late Friday to South Pymatuning Township police in the robbery case.
Harris is accused of taking $850 from a clerk at an accounts payable office at the Dean Dairy plant on Oneida Lane around 9 a.m. Thursday.
Police said Harris stole a van from a church day-care center on Roemer Boulevard in Farrell, drove to Dean Dairy where he approached a woman at the accounts payable counter and snatched a cash box containing $850 and fled.
Police said he drove into a ditch as he was fleeing the scene, blowing out one of the van tires, but continued to drive the vehicle back to the church in Farrell where he abandoned it and fled on foot.
Police said Harris was familiar with Dean Dairy because he had worked for the church day-care program this summer, driving to the plant to pick up juice for day-care participants.
He wasn't authorized to take the church van Thursday, police said.