A boyfriend and girlfriend have been arrested in last week's robbery of a New Wilmington bank.
Jason Anthony Walzer, 36, of Hubbard, and his girlfriend, Sandra C. Guthrie, 23, of Koppel, Pa., face several charges in the robbery of Huntington Bank on Jan. 24 in New Wilmington. Those charges include robbery, making terrorist threats, hindering apprehension by concealing or destroying evidence, receiving stolen property and several charges of conspiracy.
According to police, the Market Street bank was robbed about 2:45 p.m. on Jan. 24 by a white man in his late 30s or early 40s who entered the bank, handed the teller a note indicating he had a gun and telling her to provide all the money in her drawer. He was believed to be accompanied by a white female accomplice.
They were both arrested in Beaver Falls on Friday on probation violation and parole violation warrants out of Butler and Beaver counties. The two admitted their involvement in the robbery during questioning, police said.
Both are in Beaver County Jail in lieu of $150,000 bond. They're both set for preliminary hearings in Lawrence County Central Court on Feb. 9.
Police said Walzer was identified after police distributed bank surveillance photos to police in Ohio and Pennsylvania. A Pennsylvania State trooper from the Franklin barracks recognized Walzer because Walzer had been an inmate at Western Penitentiary in Pittsburgh when the trooper worked there.
Police said Guthrie was identified after police linked her to Walzer from a prior retail theft charge in Butler County, where they were charged in 2010 as co-conspirators in a shoplifting incident. Police learned neither Guthrie nor Walzer had a permanent address, but had been active in the New Brighton and Beaver Falls areas. The information was circulated to police in those areas, which resulted in their arrest last week.
