Warren man pleads innocent to robbery

An off-duty officer assisted with the arrest.

sTAFF report

WARREN — Police have charged a Homewood Avenue Southeast man with robbery for trying to steal money Sunday afternoon from the cash register at the Convenient Mart, 1650 Youngstown Road S.E.

Elias Thomas III, 26, pleaded innocent to the second-degree felony Monday in Warren Municipal Court, where bond was set at $150,000. He returns to court at 2 p.m. Monday for a preliminary hearing. If convicted, he could get up to eight years in prison.

Jeff Hoolihan, a detective with the Warren Police Department, said Thomas demanded money from a clerk, who refused to give it to him at about 1:20 p.m.

Thomas then jumped over the counter and tried to get into the register himself, but the clerk fought with him and kept him out of the register, Hoolihan said. The would-be robber fled on foot.

An officer responded to the store and began looking for someone matching the robber’s description, locating Thomas walking near Youngstown Road and Homewood Avenue Southeast, a short distance away, Hoolihan said.

The officer, who was working alone, called for assistance to arrest Thomas. Hoolihan responded from his off-duty security job and helped with the apprehension, which involved a short foot chase.

Hoolihan said it was an “automatic response” for him to help his fellow officers because he knew there were only three officers on duty at the time. The department has been working with fewer officers in recent months because of the layoff of 20 officers Jan. 1 because of budgetary problems.

One officer should not make such an arrest alone, Hoolihan said, because of the possibility the suspect might be armed.

Officers didn’t find a weapon on Thomas.

They took him back to the store, where the clerk identified him as the man who tried to rob him.