43
Robbery suspect spotted by officer on way home
By joe gorman
youngstown
A police officer on his way home after his shift Sunday evening helped to spot a suspect in the Friday robbery of a Market Street store.
Michael Joseph Cole, 18, of Youngstown was booked into the Mahoning County jail on warrants from Boardman police on charges of larceny and Youngstown Municipal Court on charges of assault.
Police Chief Rod Foley said detectives are trying to determine if Cole is responsible for the robbery of the Dollar General store at 2023 Market St. about 8:40 p.m. Friday.
Sunday, officer George Anderson was finished for the day and heading home, going south on Market Street about 9:45 p.m., when he spotted Cole, who was wearing the clothes that were described as belonging to the man who committed Friday’s robbery.
Anderson called for other officers and stayed with Cole, who then walked down Southern Boulevard. He was caught with help from the other officers at gunpoint at Southern Boulevard and East Florida Avenue, reports said.
Close to where Cole was taken into custody, officers found a BB gun in the woods. Foley said the gun looks like the one that was used in Friday’s robbery.
In that robbery, reports said a man in the store came up to the counter with a pack of T-shirts, and when he went to pay for them, he pulled a gun and demanded money. When he got the money, he ran out of the store, reports said.
Police searched the area at the time but could not find the suspect.
Foley credited Anderson with his work in spotting Cole, especially as he was on his way home.
“He’s a good officer,” Foley said.