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Man in custody for back to back robberies
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Reports said a Youngstown man robbed two McCartney Road stores Saturday 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 East Side store after he got more than $660 and 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. 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.
Campbell reports said the trash can Rodriguez was carrying had more than $2,800 inside of it.
Campbell police spotted a car leaving the area at a high rate of speed and tried to pull it over, but the car failed to stop, reports said.
Reports said Campbell police chased the car to the East Side of Youngstown, where Youngstown police took part in a chase. The chase ended when the car crashed at Garland Avenue and State Street in Youngstown.
Rodriguez ran away from the car carrying a trash can he threw away as he ran, reports said. Rodriguez was found underneath a car in a nearby driveway but he refused to come out, reports said.
He was shot with an electronic stun weapon, but it had no effect the first time because he had three coats on, reports said. He was stunned again and was taken into custody.
Inside his car police found a loaded gun, reports said.
Rodriguez is set to be arraigned in Campbell Municipal Court today. He has yet to be arraigned in Youngstown Municipal Court.