Monday, December 18, 2017
YOUNGSTOWN — Reports said a Youngstown man robbed two McCartney Road stores Saturday back to back and was caught after a short foot chase by Campbell police as he carried a trash can full of money.
Pedro Rodriguez, 24, is in the Mahoning County jail and is expected to be charged with aggravated robbery in both Youngstown and Campbell.
Youngstown police were called about 8:30 p.m. Saturday to the Family Dollar at 3923 McCartney Road, where witnesses there told police a man dressed all in black came in with a gun and forced two employees to open the cash registers.
The man ran out of the store after he got more than $660 and ran past a Campbell police officer in the parking lot, reports said.
From there, Campbell police Lt. Kevin Sferra said Rodriguez made his way to the Dollar Tree on McCartney Road, which is on the Campbell side of the road and robbed that store at gunpoint as well.
Sferra said the clerk put the cash in a trash can because it was the closest thing available and when Rodriguez was spotted by police he ran away carrying the trash can before he dropped it as he ran.
He was caught a short distance away from the store, Sferra said.