2nd Arrest In Armed Robberies
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jen [email protected]
Eric Ray Smoroske, 39, of Akron, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail around 2:14 p.m. Thursday on charges of armed robbery, criminal confinement, intimidation with a weapon and felony theft. His bond was set at $50,000.[[In-content Ad]]Smoroske is accused of being an accomplice to Tyson McKay in a pair of robberies at McDonald's and Bob Evans in Warsaw.
Tuesday, Warsaw detectives went to find Smoroske's house because he had moved from his last known residence.
Once officers located the house, a vehicle known to be Smoroske's was found parked behind the residence, but no one was in the home.
Officers went to the Bee Hive Restaurant in Beaver Dam, and while there, saw Smoroske driving past in a blue truck. The officers followed him in an unmarked car and called for marked units to make a felony traffic stop.
Marked police units stopped Smoroske On Ind. 15 near CR 950S just outside of Silver Lake.
Smoroske was taken into custody without incident.
McKay was arrested Tuesday after police reportedly matched DNA from a hat dropped during the Bob Evans robbery with DNA samples from McKay.
McKay was interviewed by police earlier this week and reportedly admitted he was involved in the two Warsaw robberies, as well as two robberies in Wabash County and one in Utah.
On Jan. 1, two masked men armed with a gun confronted a night manager at Bob Evans on Center Street, Warsaw. The manager was forced to open the restaurant's safe, remove its contents and give them to the men.
Once the men got the contents of the safe, they tied up the manager, took his cellular telephone and fled the scene.
McKay also was a suspect in the July 28 robbery of an employee of McDonald's who was making a deposit from the business on Commerce Drive in Warsaw. McKay admitted that he staged the fake robbery with another man, reportedly Smoroske, who told police he was robbed by an unknown assailant.
In Wabash County, McKay allegedly robbed a Bob Evans and a McDonald's as well. In Utah, he reportedly was involved in the robbery of another McDonald's.
McKay was employed at the Warsaw McDonald's at the time of the robbery and was formerly employed at the Warsaw Bob Evans when it was robbed.
McKay also faces charges of criminal confinement while armed (a Class B felony), intimidation with a deadly weapon (a Class C felony) and theft (a Class D felony).
The Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office currently is reviewing the case, and McKay and Smoroske may face additional charges.
The Warsaw Police Department continues to investigate the incident with the assistance of the Wabash and Utah police.
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Eric Ray Smoroske, 39, of Akron, was arrested and booked into the Kosciusko County Jail around 2:14 p.m. Thursday on charges of armed robbery, criminal confinement, intimidation with a weapon and felony theft. His bond was set at $50,000.[[In-content Ad]]Smoroske is accused of being an accomplice to Tyson McKay in a pair of robberies at McDonald's and Bob Evans in Warsaw.
Tuesday, Warsaw detectives went to find Smoroske's house because he had moved from his last known residence.
Once officers located the house, a vehicle known to be Smoroske's was found parked behind the residence, but no one was in the home.
Officers went to the Bee Hive Restaurant in Beaver Dam, and while there, saw Smoroske driving past in a blue truck. The officers followed him in an unmarked car and called for marked units to make a felony traffic stop.
Marked police units stopped Smoroske On Ind. 15 near CR 950S just outside of Silver Lake.
Smoroske was taken into custody without incident.
McKay was arrested Tuesday after police reportedly matched DNA from a hat dropped during the Bob Evans robbery with DNA samples from McKay.
McKay was interviewed by police earlier this week and reportedly admitted he was involved in the two Warsaw robberies, as well as two robberies in Wabash County and one in Utah.
On Jan. 1, two masked men armed with a gun confronted a night manager at Bob Evans on Center Street, Warsaw. The manager was forced to open the restaurant's safe, remove its contents and give them to the men.
Once the men got the contents of the safe, they tied up the manager, took his cellular telephone and fled the scene.
McKay also was a suspect in the July 28 robbery of an employee of McDonald's who was making a deposit from the business on Commerce Drive in Warsaw. McKay admitted that he staged the fake robbery with another man, reportedly Smoroske, who told police he was robbed by an unknown assailant.
In Wabash County, McKay allegedly robbed a Bob Evans and a McDonald's as well. In Utah, he reportedly was involved in the robbery of another McDonald's.
McKay was employed at the Warsaw McDonald's at the time of the robbery and was formerly employed at the Warsaw Bob Evans when it was robbed.
McKay also faces charges of criminal confinement while armed (a Class B felony), intimidation with a deadly weapon (a Class C felony) and theft (a Class D felony).
The Kosciusko County Prosecutor's Office currently is reviewing the case, and McKay and Smoroske may face additional charges.
The Warsaw Police Department continues to investigate the incident with the assistance of the Wabash and Utah police.
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