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An East Freedom man is behind bars after allegedly robbing a Taco Bell employee at gunpoint Friday evening.
Dustin Lynn Swab, 40, was arraigned Saturday by Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger on a single felony count of robbery, single misdemeanor counts of possession of a weapon, theft, receiving stolen property and disorderly conduct, as well as a summary harassment charge. Unable to post $50,000 bail, Swab was remanded to Blair County Prison.
Freedom Township Police Department officers were dispatched to the Taco Bell at 310 Travelers Road, East Freedom, for a report of a robbery about 9:40 p.m. on Friday. The Taco Bell manager, who had called 911, said an employee was robbed in the parking lot during his break and that the suspect was still on scene, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Officers approached the suspect, later identified as Swab, sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle. When commanded to exit the vehicle with his hands up, Swab didn't comply and was removed from the vehicle. Officers located a firearm in the front waistline of Swab's pants, as well as a cellphone displaying a call log showing "Mom," court documents state.
The victim told officers he was near Taco Bell's dumpsters on his break about 9:11 p.m. when Swab pulled up in a vehicle. Swab exited and displayed the firearm in his waistband and told the victim to give him their cell phone. Swab then took the phone, entered the vehicle, drove around the Taco Bell building and parked. The victim said he went inside the restaurant and told his manager to call the police when he saw Swab was still sitting in the parking lot, the police report states.
During the investigation, the victim's mother arrived on scene and told officers that Swab had called her after stealing the victim's phone. Swab had told the victim's mother that he had a gun and "was the security of his residence." The victim's mother said she didn't know how Swab came into possession of the victim's phone until she heard Swab being arrested, the report states.
In an interview, Swab told officers he was going to give the phone back to the victim but the Taco Bell employees had locked the doors, according to the affidavit.
Swab is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in front of Blattenberger on April 3.