Talbert

A Duncansville man was taken into custody hours after allegedly robbing a tobacco shop with an airsoft gun on Monday morning.

Thomas Edward Talbert, 18, was arraigned Tuesday by Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger on a single felony count of robbery and single misdemeanor counts of theft, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, possessing an instrument of crime with intent and tampering with physical evidence. He was remanded to the Blair County Prison in lieu of $50,000 bail.

Duncansville Borough and Blair Township police department officers were dispatched to the Smokers Express at 1014 Third Ave. in Duncansville about 9:18 a.m. Monday for a panic alarm.

The store clerk reported a male, later identified as Talbert, dressed in a white hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans entered the store through the front door, asked for a carton of cigarettes and then pointed a handgun at him, demanding the money from the cash register. The clerk said Talbert fled the store after he gave him all of the $10 and $20 bills from the register, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Officers reviewed the store’s security footage and saw Talbert arriving and leaving on a dark-colored bicycle that was left on the Third Avenue bridge, court documents state.

Officers were at Smokers Express about 1:35 p.m. when two individuals came into the store to tell investigators they thought a male they were familiar with was the suspect in the robbery. The pair said Talbert was homeless, but was living in a shed in the rear of a residence along the 800 block of Third Avenue. One of the individuals also told officers they found clothing on the porch of her residence along the 1100 block of Fifth Avenue that matched the clothing the suspect was shown wearing in photos posted to Facebook by local police departments, the police report states.

In an interview, one of the individuals said they became concerned the bike belonged to the resident after finding the clothes and seeing pictures of the suspect riding a bike similar to his. The resident confirmed to her that Talbert was living in his shed. She then went to the shed to talk to Talbert. Talbert said he put the clothes there a few days prior and denied involvement in the robbery, the report states.

Officers detained Talbert near the Antique Depot and Talbert denied involvement in the robbery. He was searched and officers found $42 and several containers of products from the Antique Depot. Officers explained to Talbert they were going to question him in relation to the robbery, to which Talbert said, “I did it,” according to the affidavit.

Talbert said he took the bike belonging to the resident and an airsoft gun about 9 a.m. with the intent to rob Smokers Express. Talbert said he pointed the airsoft gun at the clerk and demanded the cash from the drawer. He told officers his motivation was a lack of money, the report states.

After fleeing the store, Talbert said he went to the Fifth Avenue residence and left his jeans and sweatshirt on the individual’s porch but kept the cigarettes and cash, which totaled about $250. Talbert then returned to the shed, where he stashed some of the money, the gun and other identifying clothing, court documents state.

Officers obtained a search warrant for the Third Avenue property and found a fake black pistol, a wallet containing $200, a carton of cigarettes with one pack missing and clothing that matched what the suspect was wearing in the store’s security footage, according to the affidavit.

Talbert is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in front of Magisterial District Judge Paula M. Aigner on April 1.