Documents show man tried to cover up Little Me robbery

October 04, 2005|By PEPPER BALLARD

With his girlfriend's three children at his side, Bradley Richard Trostel allegedly robbed Little Me, a children's clothing store where his girlfriend worked, and tried to cover it up, according to court documents.

Trostel, 23, of 13716 Lois Street in Hagerstown, was charged Sept. 23 with misdemeanor theft, conspiracy to commit misdemeanor theft and contributing to a false statement to an officer in connection with the Sept. 7 robbery of the Prime Outlets store, according to court documents.

No charges have been filed against his girlfriend, Krystal Shawyer. The investigation was continuing, police said.

Shawyer originally told police that, at about 7 p.m., an unknown man who was in the store the night before came up behind her, "jabbed an unknown-type weapon in her right kidney area" and told her not to scream or he would cut her. He then demanded the store's money, taking $364, Sheriff's Department Sgt. Mark Knight wrote in charging documents.

In a revised statement to police, Shawyer said she and Trostel had discussions "about how easy it would be to steal from the Little Me because they said there were no surveillance cameras," according to charging documents.

She said Trostel came into the store that night with her three children and kept insisting "she open the registers," documents state. After Shawyer handed him the money, Trostel allegedly took a pair of scissors to make the mark: "He said this would look better when she reported the armed robbery," according to court documents.

Trostel left the store with the children and Shawyer called police, documents state. Knight said the children were all younger than 10.

Trostel was being held without bond Monday at the Washington County Detention Center on a parole retake charge. He is being held on a violation of probation charge in addition to the theft charges, a jail spokeswoman said.

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