BAZETTA — A 19-year-old Youngstown man pleaded not guilty to charges connected to a Friday armed robbery at a Bazetta convenience store.

Tyler Penwell of 256 S. Osborn Ave., appeared in both Trumbull County Central District and Warren Municipal courts Monday to answer charges of aggravated burglary, resisting arrest and receiving stolen property. Central District court records show that Judge Thomas Campbell set Penwell’s bond at $25,000 on the aggravated burglary charge and scheduled a preliminary hearing for 9 a.m. today.

According to municipal court records, Penwell will have to appear for a May 14 hearing on the other charges.

Trumbull County 911 reports state that shortly after 11 p.m. May 1, two men robbed the Circle K at the corner of state routes 5 and 46. A 911 dispatcher said one robber had a green shirt over his face and displayed a fake gun.

Both men walked into the store, went to the restroom and came out to order gasoline, the report states. Then the men told the clerk to put all the money from the register inside a black backpack. The clerk told Bazetta police the register had $43.

Reports said the two fled the store in different vehicles, a gray Jeep Liberty and a Dodge truck that police said were both reported stolen. Sheriff deputies later that night found a Jeep Liberty at the Howland Sheetz on state Route 46 and chased it down Kenyon Drive in Howland. The suspect got out and ran through the woods, the report states, before authorities arrested Penwell.

According to the police report, when a police officer asked Penwell why he robbed the store, the man replied: “I don’t know, just making a stupid decision I guess, doing dumb stuff.”

Police were able to identify a second suspect and issued a warrant through Central District Court for the arrest of Hunter Thomas, 19, of 42 Sexton St., Struthers. He had not been arrested as of Tuesday evening.

Eastern District Court records in Brookfield show that Thomas in January was convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of marijuana and given a 90-day jail sentence. Jail records show Thomas had been released from jail on April 15.

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