Tyrone Police Department Chief Joe Beachem said yesterday the county prosecutor and Jacob Ewing’s attorney reached a plea agreement on robbery charges stemming from last week’s incident at Tyrone’s Kwik-Fill.
District Magistrate Fred Miller said this morning that Ewing waived two felony counts of robbery and additional charges of recklessly endangering another person, receiving stolen property, disorderly conduct, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault and harassment to the Blair County Court of Common Pleas. Miller also said Ewing waived a driving under the influence charge, stemming from a November incident.
Ewing remains jailed at the Blair County Prison in lieu of $33,000 straight bail.
Beachem would not comment on the terms of the plea agreement, stating that a judge will need to look at the agreement before it is accepted.
The robbery occurred at about 7:15 a.m. yesterday when police say Ewing walked into the station, made small talk about the weather then brandished a large hunting knife and demanded money from manager Mike Lewis.
“He got somewhere around $200 or $300,” said Lewis. Lewis was not harmed in the incident.
After he took the money, Lewis said the suspect fled across Washington Avenue and through some residents’ yards before crossing the Little Juniata River. Police said he then back-tracked across the river again and fled into Grazierville.
Tyrone Police assistant chief Greg Ray told The Daily Herald that acting on a tip from a resident, police arrived at a Washington Avenue home and told the occupants to cooperate and charges wouldn’t be filed.
A short while later, Ewing was in custody after police found him hiding in a small cubbyhole in the attic.
Ray said after Ewing was apprehended, he spoke with the home’s occupants who told him when Ewing arrived at the home, he was soaking wet and freezing cold.
Initially, police believed when he made contact at the home, that he phoned someone for a ride out of the area. Police cancelled a police helicopter which was responding to the scene to aid in the search.
In addition to the response from the Tyrone Police Department, Bellwood Police Department and the state police from the Hollidaysburg barracks assisted in the search.
