Dec 1, 2016 3 min read

A Monongahela man was arrested Thursday morning by city police after he was spotted leaving an East Main Street convenience store wearing what police say was the same clothing he wore about six hours earlier while robbing another convenience store while armed with a knife.

Ronald Pietz, 23, of 232 Linn Alley, is charged with robbery, theft and terroristic threats for allegedly robbing the 7-Eleven store, 200 Dry Run Road, about 3:15 a.m.

Chief Brian Tempest said Monongahela police got a holdup alarm from the store along with a report of an armed robbery. The clerk told police that a tall, thin man entered the store. He was wearing a black hooded shirt, black cap and had a black cloth mask covering the lower part of his face. He also wore white gloves with orange fingers and palms. The robber also wore blue jeans, a tan belt and tan boots. In his left hand, he had a folding knife that was open, Tempest said.

The robber told the clerk he wanted money from the registers. Tempest said the clerk opened both registers and gave the robber ones and fives. Most of the bills were wrapped in blue or red rubber bands. The robber also grabbed three cartons and several packs of cigarettes as he left the store.

Officer Ryan Lenzi was on patrol about 9:12 a.m. when he spotted a man wearing a black hooded shirt, blue jeans and tan belt with a black cloth around his neck leaving the Sheetz store on East Main. Tempest said Lenzi confronted the man, identified as Pietz. Police said they found Pietz with one- and five-dollar bills in his pocket, some wrapped with red or blue rubber bands. He also had the white gloves with the orange fingers and palms, police said, and in his pants pocket, he had a gold and silver folding knife.

Tempest said Pietz also had $9.85 in merchandise he allegedly had just stolen from the Sheetz.

About the same time, police also received a call to Chess Street. About 15 minutes before he was at Sheetz, Pietz allegedly stopped to talk to some carpenters who were working in the area. He allegedly stole a sander and nail gun from them. Tempest said those items were found hidden near some houses a few doors away.

Pietz was arraigned Wednesday afternoon before District Judge Mark Wilson on the robbery charges. He was placed in Washington County jail on $100,000 bond. Pietz is scheduled for a Dec. 15 hearing before Wilson. Tempest said Pietz will be arraigned later on charges of retail theft, public drunkenness and theft in conjunction with the other incidents.