Suspect breaks into New Philadelphia bank, leaves in handcuffs
NEW PHILADELPHIA – It appears a 20-year-old with a hammer, screwdriver, spoon, knife and plastic trash bags unsuccessfully attempted to rob PNC Bank on West High Avenue in New Philadelphia over the weekend.
In a press release Wednesday, New Philadelphia Police Chief Tessa Pohovey said New Philadelphia and Dover officers were able to thwart the attempt and arrest the suspect at around 1:10 a.m. Saturday.
The incident began when the bank’s security company reported an apparent break-in that triggered motion sensors in the lobby and teller areas.
Responding officers found a rear door with a shattered glass panel and saw a subject inside wearing a hat and face-covering who hid and did not respond to officer’s commands.
Eventually, officers were able to unlock the lobby doors through the opening of the damaged door and enter the bank. They ordered the suspect to the ground and took him into custody without incident.
Pohovey said the suspect was in possession of a hammer, a flat-blade screwdriver, a spoon, and black plastic trash bags. A fix blade knife was also found on the floor.
In addition to the damaged door, a digital keypad was destroyed, and the vault door and frame sustained minor damage.
The subject, Guillermo Sanchez Gomez, is in the Tuscarawas County Jail on a $15,000 bond. He is charged with four low-level felonies: breaking and entering, safecracking, possessing criminal tools, and vandalism. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.