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Four People Arrested in Three Robberies

WILLIAMSPORT — Police in Williamsport have arrested four people for three separate robberies. In two of those robberies, police say a teen pulled a gun on...

WILLIAMSPORT -- Police in Williamsport have arrested four people for three separate robberies. In two of those robberies, police say a teen pulled a gun on convenience store clerks.

Those three robberies all happened within a 24-hour period and Williamsport police believe they have arrested the people responsible.

Two of those robberies are blamed on teenagers who told police they needed money.

Tyseer Gates, 16, of Newport, Delaware and Shon Helm, 18, of Williamsport walked into a district magistrate's office in Williamsport to face charges, including robbery. The teenagers are accused of robbing two convenience stores -- Nittany Minit Mart and a Unimart. Gates was charged as an adult because police say he pulled a gun on two clerks.

Kate Charlton works at Nittany Minit Mart on West Fourth Street. She says she finished her shift just a few hours before the robbery happened. She knows the clerk who was working at the time.

"To know that there are nights that I'm here by myself, too, and she's a little bit older than me. I look young and I present myself as young so I probably look like a pretty vulnerable target," Charlton said.

Detective Ray Kontz says the two also planned to rob Dunkin Donuts but were arrested before that.

A 13 year old will be charged as an accomplice.

Kontz says the motive was money; Gates has no job.

"There was nobody that was caring for him and he was running the streets. His only way to fend for himself was robberies and other violent crimes," said Det. Kontz.

There was another robbery at Turkey Hill on Washington Boulevard. Williamsport police already caught those suspects as well.

Williamsport police expect to charge two men soon. They say one of the men stole a purse from a woman outside the store. The other man drove the getaway vehicle.

Bail was set at $250,000 for Tyseer Gates and Shon Helm. The two were laughing in the courtroom Wednesday morning and say they are trying to see the bright side of their arrest. Detective Kontz said, at 16 years old, there is no bright side.

 

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