The Aldi Foods at
2906 LaPorte Ave. was robbed on Friday by a man who implied possession of a
firearm, Valparaiso Police said.
According to
police, at 7:20 p.m. a male subject identified as Thomas Powell, 36, of
Hebron, entered the store with a mask on his face, approached a cashier, and
demanded money. Powell implied “he had a weapon in his pocket while
demanding the money,” police said.
No sooner did
Powell obtain an undisclosed amount of currency, however, than he was
“immediately physically restrained by a customer,” at which time additional
customers “assisted and held the subject on the floor until police arrived,”
police said.
Responding officers
arrived on the scene to find “five or six individuals holding a male subject
on the floor,” police said.
Powell was taken
into custody and charged with robbery, and all money was recovered.
Meanwhile, the VPD
continues to investigate the incident and released this statement on Sunday:
“Police are seeking information regarding the Aldi’s robbery on Friday
evening. If you assisted with the apprehension of the subject in the store
on Friday evening, police would like to thank you and speak with you.
Individuals involved were witness to a robbery and police would like an
explanation of the incident from as many witnesses as possible.”
The VPD also
released a photograph from the scene. “If you are in this photo please
contact Det. Tom Horn of the Valparaiso Police Department at (219)
462-2135.”