Cops: Armed Robbers Used Pit Bull As Weapon

New York, NY -- Eyewitness News reporter Tim Fleischer is live in Pelham with the story.

This is certainly one of the more unusual armed robberies we have heard about. The victims at the Pelham train station had reason to fear for their lives, not only at the hands of the gun, but also the pit bull.

With a loud bark and a ferocious look a three-year-old pit bull is now locked in a cage after police say she was used as a weapon in an armed robbery.

Det. Rick Deere, Pelham Police Department: "Once they saw the reaction the dog was getting, you know what, let's keep going with it because it's working, and as you know pit bulls do attract a lot of attention and they do put fear in people."

In this case two Pelham residents and two relatives visiting from Ireland waiting for a train into the city over the weekend. Two men - one with a small handgun - approached them, police say striking one person in the head. The other, with the dog, then used the pit bull to lunge at the victims.

Det. Rick Deere, Pelham Police Department: "The suspect with the dog started yelling 'get 'em, get 'em, get 'em' and the dog was getting highly agitated and barking a lot at the victims."

The suspects, police say, got about $1,200 and a couple of credit cards. They started running from the station down into the village of Pelham but were captured by police a couple of blocks away.

Robert Richardson - who police say just got out of prison and Richard Clark - both of Mt. Vernon - were charged with armed robbery.Despite repeated attempts to reach the victims, they were not available. But the robbery, even with the dog, surprises some.

Resident: "It's scary but I guess whatever they can do to scare people they're gunna do."

The dog, called Pepper, is friendly, inquisitive and now in the hands of the Westchester Humane Society.

Billy Balestrieri, Animal Control Officer: "Of course the owners used it as a weapon and people are intimidated when they see a pit bull. But she's very sweet and just very scared."

As a result the two suspects could also face animal cruelty charges.

 

crazy people out there