Man in Drive-Through Robbery Arrested in PA
Police in Pennsylvania have arrested a man they say is accused of trying to rob a coffee shop in Ross Township by climbing through the drive-through window.
Police said they took John Hammel, 32, into custody at around 7:00 p.m. near Bellevue after an officer spotted a stolen vehicle that Hammel was driving.
The attempted robbery happened at the Island Bean coffee shop located in Ross Township, which is a town outside of Pittsburgh, police said.
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Police said Hammel climbed out of his vehicle window and then climbed through the drive-through window holding a tire iron.
The owner, Dorie Schwendeman told WTAE, in Pittsburgh, Pa: "It took a couple seconds to register what actually was happening, and then it was like, 'oh, this is real’.”
While the robber was making his way through the drive-through window, the owner’s husband said his wife grabbed whatever she could to fight him off. He said his wife fought the robber off by smashing a coffee pot over his head.
"He still came into the store. That's when she grabbed one of these milk pitchers and slammed him with that," he told WTAE.
At that point is when police say the man fled in what investigators believe was a stolen vehicle.
The entire situation was caught on surveillance video, police said.
Ross Township police acknowledge that the woman's actions were brave, but they said the best move is to try and get away.
Ross Township Police Detective Brian Kohlhepp told WTAE, "She certainly did what she felt she needed to do to defend herself. It's certainly justifiable in this case, but not what we'd recommend doing."
Police expect to charge Hammel with robbery as well as charges related to a stolen van they said he was driving at the time.
"With the holiday season, people do become a little more desperate, and we tend to have more robberies in December, as does every municipality across the country," said Kohlhepp.
Hammel is being held in Allegheny County Jail.
