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Saturday, October 19, 1996 Page: 3A
2 held in robbery of ski equipment store
Store manager says four men put on layers of clothes and tried to sneak
outWILKES-BARRE — When four men attempted to rob Top of the Slope Ski &
Rental Shop Friday morning, the plan went downhill pretty fast.
The four allegedly tried stealing thousands of dollars worth of designer
winter clothing Friday morning from the South Main Street store, but store
employees apprehended one suspect and police caught another.
Police are looking for the other two suspects, who escaped with $1,525
worth of winter coats and pants.
Arrested were Anthony Brown, 24, and Donald Michelson, 23, also known as
Donald Commuck, both of Washington Street, Wilkes-Barre. Both were charged
with retail theft. Brown also was charged with disorderly conduct.
Police said men entered the store about 11 a.m. Friday and tried on
clothes. The men spent about an hour layering themselves in expensive winter
clothes and then tried to sneak out the back door.
When store manager Joe Wychock and store owner Mike Miscavage attempted to
stop them, they rushed for the front door.
Brown was detained by store personnel until police arrived.
Michelson fled from the store on foot north on South Main Street. He was
apprehended by Patrolmen Charles Jensen and Steven Bigus at Washington and
Northampton streets.
Wychock compared grabbing the men to peeling an onion.
“They were trying to wiggle away and I kept grabbing at them. It seemed
every time I grabbed them that another layer of clothing came off in my hand,”
said Wychock, 33.
Shortly after the struggle began, police arrived. They chased the other two
men, but as of press time they had not located them.
Brown and Michelson were arraigned before District Justice Michael Collins
of Wilkes-Barre. They were remanded to the Luzerne County Correctional
Facility in lieu of $10,000 bail each.
A preliminary hearing was scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 29 before District
Justice Martin Kane of Wilkes-Barre.
Two months ago a group of young men tried to rob Top of the Slope in
similar fashion.
“This has happened several times before and it’s getting ridiculous,”
Wychock said. “It’s funny that city officials say that there is no crime
problem here anymore. But there is. If they are going to improve the downtown,
something is going to have to be done about crimes like these.”
TIMES LEADER/CLARK VAN ORDEN
Anthony Brown, 23, a suspect in the Top of the Slope robbery, is searched
by a Wilkes-Barre police officer Friday morning. Brown and Donald Michelson,
24, were charged with retail theft.