2 Arrested in Clearwater Walmart Robberies

Clearwater Police detectives say they have their men in two recent robberies at a local Walmart store.

The most recent robbery happened around 5:04 p.m. Tuesday when a man with a plastic bag over his face entered a Walmart and walked up to the customer service counter. The man demanded money from the clerk.

He was seen leaving with another man in a red 2000 Saturn.

It was that car that led police to the men’s location, spokesman Rob Shaw said in an email to media.

Detectives spotted the car behind the Oasis Cabaret, 24652 U.S. 19 N. around 10 p.m. Tuesday. Inside the bar, they found Francis S. Stadelman, 26, and Johnathan E. Colaizzo, 28.

Colaizzo admitted to the crimes, Shaw said, but Stadelman denied involvement. Both, however, were arrested and each were charged with one count of robbery and one count of robbery with a firearm implied.

The first robbery took place at the store on Nov. 13. In that case, the robber implied he had a weapon, police said.

Photo Credit: Stadelman and Colaizzo/Courtesy of the Clearwater Police Department