DOVER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- A man accused of robbing a Dollar General store in Dover Township got quite the surprise Sunday night as he made his getaway. As the suspect ran through a yard to escape, a family dog sprung into action.
Police said a heavy-set, Hispanic man robbed the Dollar General on Carlisle Road with a gun. He then took off with the cash right through Tim Luckenbaugh's backyard.
"My dog noticed him, and I ran up to him and I was like 'hey can I help you, do you need something?' He didn't respond to me, so he, my dog, grabbed onto his arm and pretty much hung on him the whole way from the bottom of my driveway to the top of my driveway," said Luckenbaugh. Luckenbaugh said he chased the man to where a driver in an older white Dodge Caravan was waiting for the suspect, parked in his driveway.
"I said, 'excuse me, what are you doing in my driveway?' He said 'sorry,' and he put a gun in my face. I smacked it out of his hands, and when I heard it hit the ground, I realized it was a fake gun," said Luckenbaugh.
Police are still looking for the suspect and his getaway driver.
"He took off and I was trying to hang on the door, but he shoved me out," said Luckenbaugh.
Luckenbaugh said his dog Diesel has never been aggressive with anyone. "Police said from being a family dog he knew from instinct something was wrong. He's never bitten anybody. I'm glad that he knows from instinct, right or wrong. So that makes me feel good," he said.
Police press release:
Police say the Dollar General Store located at 4911 Carlisle Road in Dover Township was the victim of an armed robber Sunday. It happened around 7:21pm. Northern York County Regional Police say the suspect, described as a heavy-set Hispanic male, entered the store and was meandering through the aisles. After several other customers left the store, the suspect approached the register and paid for a small item. As the clerk was making change, the suspect produced a pistol and placed it on the counter. The suspect then demanded the money from the register. He then fled from the store running southbound with an undetermined amount of cash.
The suspect ran through a yard in the 4800 block of Carlisle Road and was attacked by a large dog. The dog bit the suspect in the arm. The suspect then made it to an older model white Dodge Caravan. The dog owner approached the vehicle and confronted the suspect. The dog owner opened the van door and the suspect pointed the handgun at the dog owner. The dog owner slapped the gun away from the suspect. The van then sped off traveling northbound on Carlisle Road.
The robbery suspect is described as follows;
Hispanic male
6’0″ tall
Heavy set
Grey hooded Aeropostale sweatshirt with the number “87” on the chest
Dark blue jeans
Gray/white sneakers
Black gloves
Blue baseball cap
The vehicle was driven by an unknown suspect .
The suspect should have dog bite wounds on one arm. The sweatshirt was torn by the dog.
Neither the clerk, the dog, or the dogs owner were injured.
The handgun was recovered and found to be a plastic replica.
The investigation into this crime continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Northern York County Regional Police Department at 717-292-3647.