SUNBURY – Cooperation of citizens and police is credited with the arrest of a Sunbury man for Thursday’s knife-point robbery at a Sunbury Turkey Hill store. 41-year-old Walter Thomas, whose address is a Snydertown Road location, was picked up in Sunbury Friday night. He said he stole the money from the store to pay for heroin and other items. Bail was set at $100,000 and he is in the Montour County jail.
Police tell us a neighbor noticed a van parked near the store Thursday night and they saw Thomas go toward the store. They got a picture of that van. Sunbury police officer Keifer Bathgate and corporal Brad Hare made initial contact with Thomas then released him. According to a statement from Sunbury police, the officers investigated more Friday and that’s when they say Thomas admitted to the hold-up. Police say they’ve located the knife used in the robbery and the clothing Thomas was wearing.
Sunbury police captain Stephen Bennick said in the statement, “This is another example of the positive results than can be achieved thought the cooperation of our area police agencies and when citizens will not allow themselves to become victims and stand up for what is right”
After the hold-up, Sunbury police corporal Brad Hare said they quickly coordinated a regional police saturation patrol. Police asked for and received help from officers from Northumberland, Point Township, and state police, Shamokin Dam, Selinsgrove and Buffalo Valley Regional Police.
He said they searched the city systemically trying to find the robber. They did encounter several people during these patrols and did take a woman into custody wanted on an arrest warrant.
