Gunpoint Robbery Reported at Newtown Shopping Center, Wrightstown Man Arrested

A 28-year-old Wrightstown Township man was arrested after attempting to rob a woman at gunpoint at a Newtown Township shopping center Saturday. He was arrested hours later after getting into a car accident at the same shopping center, according to Newtown Township Police.

Police say Christopher W. Cheshire of Thompson Mill Road in Wrightstown was armed with what appeared to be a handgun when he approached a woman Saturday around 12:50 p.m. while she was sitting in her car at the Newtown Shopping Center near the Gap.

The victim told police a man, later identified as Cheshire, opened her car door, pointed a handgun at her and demanded her purse. The 57-year-old Levittown woman refused and confronted Cheshire, who ran when the victim tried to get out of the car.

A nearby witness was able to provide police with the registration and description of the car. The information was run through the national database and the owner’s information came back to an address in Wrightstown Township. The victim was able to identify Cheshire from a photo lineup. Police then began the process of obtaining an arrest warrant for Cheshire.

A few hours later, at approximately 6:45 p.m., police were called to the Newtown Shopping Center for a traffic accident near the Acme supermarket.

“The investigating officer quickly determined that the driver at fault for the accident was Christopher Cheshire, the suspect in the armed robbery,” according to Newtown Township police.

Police located a BB gun in the car.

Cheshire is charged with: robbery; possession of an instrument of a crime; theft; recklessly endangering another person; disorderly conduct; harassment and simple assault.

He was processed at Northampton Township Police Department then arraigned before Judge Benz, who set bail at 10 percent of $100,000. Cheshire was transported to Bucks County Prison.

(Contributed photo of Christopher Cheshire.)