Suspect in McDonald’s robbery arrested at Walmart

Staff report

AUSTINTOWN

Township police Wednesday morning arrested the man suspected of robbing the Mahoning Avenue McDonald’s restaurant at gunpoint Tuesday.

Detective Jordan Yacovone said an off-duty officer spotted Jawwaad R. Pusey, 32, of Carlotta Drive, Youngstown, just before 7 a.m., at the Walmart on Mahoning Avenue attempting to make fraudulent returns of merchandise he claimed was bought at the store – the same type of scam he tried at the McDonald’s before pulling a gun and stealing about $75.

“When they were giving him a hard time about it, he got loud with the managers, made a big scene, was kicking carts,” Yacovone said. “He has a history of doing this. He’s done this at numerous McDonald’s and Taco Bell restaurants.”

An on-duty officer who responded to the store reported Pusey was “highly combative” and used his stun gun, which brought Pusey to the ground, the report states.

Officers did not recover the small, semi-automatic handgun they believe he used in the McDonald’s robbery.

Pusey faces a felony count of aggravated robbery in Mahoning County Area Court here, as well as a misdemeanor-theft count in county court in Boardman, court records show.