Summit man, accused of being Erie’s lollipop bandit, charged in more Dollar General heists

State and Erie law enforcement said they suspected the similar human being was accountable for a string of shop robberies, including 4 that hit Dollar General areas, in a approximately 4-week span in Erie County beginning in late March.

Authorities have now charged the exact male with committing all of them.

Summit Township resident Christopher R. Zapolski, 33, now in jail on fees in three of the heists, was arraigned Friday early morning on prices of robbing Greenback Normal shops in Summit Township on March 22 and in Greene Township on March 26.

Summit Township District Choose Brian McGowan set Zapolski’s bonds at $100,000 on each and every of the two new instances immediately after arraigning him on charges including felony robbery and terroristic threats in every circumstance.

Zapolski was now in the Erie County Prison on $325,000 in bonds in the other three robberies he is accused of committing. He is billed in those circumstances with robbing the Tops Friendly Markets at 1520 W. 26th St. in Erie on April 3, the Greenback Basic at 3875 Zimmerman Road in the city on April 7, and the Greenback Common at 12674 Route 19 in Waterford Township on April 9.

In the Erie Dollar Basic robbery, investigators stated the suspect purchased a lollipop prior to working with a gun to rob the cashier and fleeing with cash and the lollipop.

In two of the Greenback Typical robberies investigated by state police, troopers said the suspect bought cat foods just before robbing the outlets.

The new situations

The Pennsylvania State Law enforcement, in felony issues filed Wednesday and Thursday, accuse Zapolski of stealing a several hundred bucks from the Dollar Basic shops at 8214 Perry Freeway in Summit Township on March 22 and at 8948 Wattsburg Road in Greene Township on March 26.

In the Summit Township scenario, troopers explained he advised a feminine cashier that he had a gun in his pocket and demanded all of the revenue from her dollars drawer. The cashier informed investigators that after taking the cash, the suspect said, “I’m sorry for all of this,” troopers wrote in the prison criticism.

Tale continues

In the Greene Township situation, troopers accuse Zapolski of pulling a gun on a feminine cashier following paying for cat foodstuff and telling her that he did not want to hurt her, but preferred the funds from the money drawer. The cashier told troopers the suspect apologized to her as he left the store with the stolen money, according to information in the criticism.

The apprehension

Erie and point out police investigators said there have been similarities in every single of the 5 robberies that led them to suspect the identical man or woman probable committed at the very least most of them. The similarities provided a white Audi that was suspected of getting applied as the suspect’s getaway car, in accordance to details in the criminal issues.

On April 9, subsequent the Waterford Township Greenback Standard theft, troopers who were responding to the retail outlet spotted a white Audi touring north on Route 97 at high pace. An endeavor was created to cease it, but a trooper shed the Audi right after it turned onto Robison Highway, in accordance to facts in the felony grievance filed towards Zapolski in the scenario.

Chase prospects to suspect in retail store heists Erie police believe a Summit Township gentleman billed with robbing a Greenback Standard keep in Waterford Township while getting

A condition police corporal later on noticed the Audi alongside Route 97 and adopted it to a gasoline station. When the corporal and other troopers went into the station, they were explained to that a person ran out a rear doorway, investigators noted.

State law enforcement impounded the Audi and identified clothes the suspect wore for the duration of the Waterford Township theft in the trunk. Troopers afterwards apprehended Zapolski at a residence in Erie County, according to condition law enforcement.

Zapolski was charged on April 10 in the Waterford Township theft. He waived the costs he faces to court docket at his preliminary listening to on Tuesday, according to on the internet court docket facts.

Erie police billed Zapolski in their two robberies on April 11. He is scheduled to look in court for his preliminary hearings later on this month.

Get hold of Tim Hahn at [email protected] Adhere to him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This write-up originally appeared on Erie Periods-Information: Robberies: Erie’s lollipop bandit charged in additional Dollar Normal heists