Suspected Robbers Caught After Cashing In Lottery Tickets

Saturday, July 29, 2006 posted 11:32 AM EDT

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a robbery at the Country Store in Hopedale, and now they're looking for two more.

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a robbery at the Country Store in Hopedale, and now they're looking for two more.

The Harrison County Sheriff's Department said this past weekend, cashiers came in to find someone had robbed the place.

"We came outside, I locked the door, it was all secure, everything was locked," said Flo Walker, a cashier at the Country Store. "The next day they came to work it was broken into."

Detective Jericoe Jones said the robbers broke in through the window after the store closed Saturday night, and stole cigarettes and 100 scratch-off lottery tickets.

Jones said police found some of their suspects when they tried to cash in their tickets at the Speedway gas station in downtown Steubenville.

"We were contacted by the Ohio Lottery Commission," said Jones. "They advised us that the tickets were trying to be cashed in the Steubenville area."

After looking at surveillance video from Speedway, police made two arrests Friday, 22-year-old Charles Walenciej and 24-year-old Ronald Hawthorne, both of Steubenville.

But police said there are still two other accomplices in the robbery who are on the run, 25-year-old Joseph Drake of Amsterdam and 24-year-old Michael Hawthorne of Steubenville.

As police continue their search, folks back at the Country Store said they're glad police have put some of the suspects behind bars.

It's good, it's great,"" said Walker. "It makes me feel a little bit safer."

Related Links
	Lottery News & Stories
	Latest Results
	Search Past Winning Numbers