Masked Man Attempts Papa John's Robbery, Fails

The attempted robbery occurred early Friday morning at the State Road Papa John's Pizza in Cuyahoga Falls.

At about 12:20 a.m. Friday morning, a masked man attempted to rob Papa John's Pizza; however, the business — located at 1630 State Rd. — was already locked up for the night.  Cuyahoga Falls police reported the man ran up to the pizza parlor, pulled on the bolted front door, panicked and ran northbound on State Road.  A Papa Jonn's employee witnessed the incident and said the man appeared to be white, judging by the skin that could be seen through the eyeholes of the ski mask, according to police radio traffic.  The man was also dressed in dark clothing and appeared to be about 6 feet tall.  It was unclear whether the man was armed; and as of April 17, police were still on the hunt for the suspect. Several robberies have been reported …

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U.S. Marshals Searching for Gas Station Robber

Charles Farris III is the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force’s fugitive of the week.

The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is looking for information on Charles Farris III, the task force’s latest fugitive of the week.  Farris is wanted for charges including robbery, failure to register as a sex offender and parole violation, according to a press release from the task force. He is wanted by the U.S. Marshals and the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the Elyria Police Department and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority.  Allegedly, Farris robbed a Speedway in Elyria last November. The incident took place early in the morning, around 3 a.m. on Nov. 10. Farris reportedly ordered a store clerk inside, and said he had a gun. Once inside, he told another clerk to give him money from the cash registers. Farris left …

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UPDATE: Police Report New Lead Regarding Hungry Howie's Robbery

Cuyahoga Falls Police have been investigating the armed robbery since Monday.

Gunman at Large Following Hungry Howie's Robbery

Cuyahoga Falls Police are on the hunt for a man who held up the pizza joint Monday night.

Updated Dec. 7, 3:17 p.m. Cuyahoga Falls Police raced to Hungry Howie's on Monday to investigate a reported armed robbery.  When officers arrived, the gunman had already escaped, leaving three Hungry Howie's employees unharmed, according to a police press release. The armed robber reportedly entered the pizza shop -- located at 2404 State Rd. -- at about 8 p.m., stole an undetermined amount of money and fled. A Munroe Falls K-9 unit was dispatched to the scene. According to police radio traffic, the dog followed a scent west behind the restaurant, but the trail went cold near Phelps Avenue and 23rd Street. According to the Falls News Press, the suspect was a masked, 6-foot African-American man with a thin build.  The department posted a …

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Jeff Mittiga

4:30 pm on Sunday, December 9, 2012

Tammy, We need improvements to the background check system. Private sales of guns also need a background check. Also, we all know that many violent crimes that are actually felonies are plea bargained down to misdemeanors. Misdemeanors that involve violence should result in that person not being able to pass a background check. George Zimmerman in Florida had assaulted a police officer and was …   more ›

PNC Bank Mistakes Disgruntled Customer for Robber

Cuyahoga Falls Police responded to the call on Saturday morning.

Better safe than sorry, as they say.  An apparent robbery at PNC Bank was nothing more than an irate customer airing his complaints, according to Cuyahoga Falls Police. At 10:24 a.m. Saturday, officers got a call from a PNC security representative that a robbery was in progress. When officers arrived to the bank, located at 2150 State Rd., they received contradictory information. According to the police report, a bank teller had called security and complained that a 62-year-old male customer was "causing inconvenience and alarm to others in the bank by shouting...in a threatening manner." Cuyahoga Falls Police Sgt. James Wray said bank security mistook the call for a robbery. The man was detained and charged with disorderly conduct. 

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Pizza Hut Employees Shaken up After Botched Gunpoint Robbery

The attempted robbery occurred late Friday night in Cuyahoga Falls.

At 11:52 p.m. Friday, a handful of Pizza Hut employees got the scare of a lifetime when a pair of men sprinted up and tried to rob their business.  According to a Cuyahoga Falls Police press release, a manager and two employees were taking a cigarette break outside of the pizza shop – located at 2893 State Rd. – as the robbers approached.  One of the employees was grabbed around the neck from behind by one of the men and was ordered to get down on the ground. Police reported one of the men was holding a silver handgun. Thinking quickly, the manager ran into Pizza Hut and locked the door behind her, leaving the employees and robbers outside. The robbers demanded to be let into the rear door, but fled after employees said they didn’t have a …

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Police on the Hunt for Masked Subway Robber

According to Cuyahoga Falls Police, a robber held up the area fast food restaurant on Thursday night and fled before officers arrived.

Cuyahoga Falls Police are investigating another robbery in the city. On Thursday night at 11:06 p.m., the Subway – located at 4041 State Rd. – was held up by a masked man who wore gloves and used a note to demand money from an employee. According to Falls Police Sgt. Mark Hawley, the robber took an unknown amount of cash, ordered the employee to lie on the ground and fled. Officers arrived minutes later with a K-9 unit, but were unable to catch the robber’s scent. Anyone with tips or information regarding the incident should call the Cuyahoga Falls Police Department at 330-928-2181.

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Earl Elevant

2:03 am on Sunday, September 2, 2012

Good luck with Cops in Shops. There are barely enough cops to take reports these days. But, of course, they're able to write a ticket to everyone they see. Catching robbers doesn't make the city any money. Writing tickets does.   more ›

Benjamin Gates Charged in Cuyahoga Falls Bank Robbery

Gates, 33, of Canton, was hit with another felony robbery charge on Tuesday for allegedly robbing a U.S. Bank in Cuyahoga Falls on Aug. 16.

U.S. Marshals paid Benjamin Gates a visit in Stark County Jail on Tuesday and added another felony robbery charge to his rap sheet.  The latest charge stems from Gates' alleged involvement in an Aug. 16 U.S. Bank robbery in Cuyahoga Falls. In a phone interview with Patch on Friday, FBI spokeswoman, Vicki Anderson, said several more charges will be filed within the next two weeks, presumably for the following robberies he's also suspected of committing: Immediately following his arrest on Aug. 16, the FBI charged him with one count of robbery in connection with the Aug. 10 holdup at a Huntington Bank, located inside the Giant Eagle at 608 Raff Rd. in Canton. The investigation is ongoing and is being conducted by the FBI, Canton Police …

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UPDATE: Falls Police, FBI Investigating U.S. Bank Robbery

The Cuyahoga Falls Police Detective Bureau and the Akron FBI are searching for a man who robbed a U.S. Bank located within the Graham Road Giant Eagle.

Updated 7.26.12 at 3:54 p.m. Cuyahoga Falls police detectives and agents from the Akron FBI office are on the hunt for a man who robbed the U.S. Bank located within the Graham Road Giant Eagle. On July 20 at 3:41 p.m., the robber walked into the supermarket, approached the only bank teller on duty and demanded all the cash from her drawer, according to a Falls police report. During the robbery, there were no threats made and "no weapons seen or implied," the report stated. Once he received the money, he fled from the store in an unknown direction. The man is described as roughly 35 years old, possibly Middle Eastern descent, 5' 8" tall with a thin build. Anyone with information regarding the robbery is asked to call the Cuyahoga Falls …

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Watch: Falls Woman Robbed at Gunpoint in Akron; Man Remains at Large

If you can identify the man in the attached video or have any information regarding this case, call Akron police detectives at 330-375-2490.

Earlier this week, a 23-year-old Cuyahoga Falls woman was robbed at gunpoint and Akron Police are asking for your help to identify one or more of the individuals involved in the crime. The holdup occurred at 12:10 a.m. Tuesday morning after a group of men approached her at a FirstMerit bank ATM at 1060 Kenmore Blvd. in Akron. According to police, one of the men pulled a gun, pointed it at her head and demanded her purse, which contained $20, cigarettes and car keys. After stealing the contents, the man threw the handbag down and fled.   The robber was described as a black man, 18 to 20 years old, about 5-foot-9, possibly with a thin mustache, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants. Police suspect he might be left-handed since he…

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