Two Fayette County residents suspected of committing three robberies over a two-day period were apprehended Wednesday by state police.
Seth Annis, 20, and Lindsey Weimer, 21, both of 340 Flatwoods Road, Vanderbilt, have been charged with the robbery of Pletcher's Farm Market along Route 711 in Champion on Tuesday; the attempted robbery of the U.S. Post Office in the East Huntingdon Township village of Tarrs; and the robbery of the Golden Apple Fruit Stand in Bullskin Township, both on Wednesday.
Annis held a pistol while robbing Pletcher's, according to owner Kevin Pletcher. "He got $400 off us. It happened around 2:30 in the afternoon."
According to state police at Greensburg, Annis entered the fruit tent and grabbed a small bag of peaches. The cashier started to bag the peaches when she said Annis told her to give him all her money. She said she did not have much money, and Annis repeated the demand. He allegedly displayed a small black handgun, but did not point it at the cashier.
The cashier handed over money from her apron. Annis then asked for her apron, which she gave to him. He ran to a white mini-van allegedly driven by Weimer. The van headed north on Route 711.
At approximately 10:25 a.m. Wednesday, Annis and Weimer entered the U.S. Post Office on Route 31 in Tarrs and tried unsuccessfully to rob the facility, state police said. The suspects then drove west toward Ruffsdale.
The Southmoreland School District was notified of the attempted robbery at 11 a.m. and District Superintendent John Halfhill ordered a lockdown of all six district schools. St. John's school in Scottdale was also locked down.
A short time later, state police said, Annis and Weimer drove to the Golden Apple Fruit Stand on Route 119 south in Bullskin Township. Weimer carried a pry bar to the fruit stand and threatened to strike an employee unless the employee handed over all of the stand's money. The clerk opened the register and ran. Weimer reportedly pursued the clerk while swinging the pry bar. The clerk ran to another business and called 911.
At 12:20 p.m., police stopped the white van on Route 119 in Dunbar Township, near Butchko's. Troopers said they saw cash stuffed under the passenger seat's backrest, a pry bar and a hooded sweatshirt matching the description of the one the robber wore at the Golden Apple.
A witness to the arrests who declined to be identified said that seven to eight marked and unmarked police cars arrived at the scene.
"All the officers had their guns drawn," the witness said. "They made the man crawl out the driver's window. One officer with a shotgun stood in the middle of Route 119. They made the man lift his shirt and lay flat on the ground. They held guns on the woman in the van. The whole thing took an hour. We were on pins and needles. We didn't know if they were armed."
The lockdown at Southmoreland and St. John's schools ended around 2 p.m.
As officers led Annis to a vehicle to transport him to his arraignment, he said, "I have no idea what's going on. Robbed⢠No. I was driving a white van." Weimer had no comment.
Annis and Weimer were arraigned before District Judge Mike Defino Jr., of Brownsville, and committed to the Fayette County Prison on $150,000 straight cash bond each. A spokeswoman at the prison did not know the date of their preliminary hearings.
