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Robbery suspects due in court
BOARDMAN
The three people arrested for a late-night Tuesday robbery are expected in court today.
Bianca L. Santos, 20, of Boardman is charged with complicity to aggravated robbery and Angel M. Cruz II, 23, of Boardman, and Dwayne L. Townsend Jr., 22, of Youngstown, are each charged with one count of aggravated robbery. They are accused of robbing an employee of iHOP, 833, Boardman-Poland Road.
Police said the employee said two men approached him about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday, brandished guns and took the night-deposit bag that contained about $300 before fleeing west toward T.J. Maxx.
Several officers responded and searched for the get-away car, said Police Chief Jack Nichols.
It appears the car had been parked west of iHop, but drove back in the direction of the restaurant and was spotted in the neighborhood of Presidential Estates, a neighborhood behind the plaza, Nichols said.
Officer Stephen Dubos saw a car with passengers matching the suspects’ descriptions and made an investigative traffic stop, the chief said.
He found the passenger breathing heavily and in plain view saw a deposit bag. A search of the car turned up a handgun and small bag of suspected marijuana, Nichols said.
“It was a great arrest,” the chief said.
Detectives said Santos first told them she was just picking up her friends after they offered her $50 for gas money, but later admitted she used to work at the restaurant and watched the front of the restaurant during the robbery, texting the two men updates.
This robbery occurred exactly one year since the restaurant’s last armed robbery. On April 3, 2011, two iHOP employees were robbed at gunpoint when they were taking out the trash.