Arrest Made In Warminster Armed Robberies

WARMINSTER, PA — Police in Warminster announced Wednesday they have made an arrest in connection with a series of local armed robberies within the past week.

Late Tuesday night, Warminster Police took Joseph Wolfgang Trout, 23, into custody on outstanding warrants out of Montgomery County. Robbery and related charges in connection with the local armed robberies will be filed shortly, police said.

Earlier Tuesday, police named Trout as a person of interest in the robberies. Trout has no known address, but is from Horsham and is known to frequent the area of the 600 buildings on E. Street Road, authorities said.

Warminster Police responded to a series of armed robberies starting on Wednesday, June 19, when, at 6:15 p.m. the Delta Gas Station at 288 N. York Rd. was robbed. The next day, there was a similar robbery at the Shell gas station at 400 W. Street Rd.

On Sunday, June 23, at 2:33 a.m., someone robbed the 7-Eleven store at 25 Newtown Rd. and, at 11:26 a.m. the same day, the Sunoco gas station at 40 E. Street Rd. was robbed.

In each of the robberies, police say, the robber walked in, pulled out a box cutter and demanded Newport cigarettes. He then ran out of the store each time to a waiting vehicle, they said.

Police thought they almost had their man when, at 10 p.m. on Sunday, they say they encountered Trout in the area of 675 E. Street Road. He ran into a wooded area nearby and there was an extensive search that included a Warminster Police K9 unit and a helicopter from the Philadelphia Police Department.

He was able to get away, police said, but a vehicle was recovered by authorities and witnesses were interviewed.

Police say Trout is wanted for parole violations as well as on retail theft charges from Upper Moreland.