Man charged with robbing, assaulting Cumberland store owner to face trial
A man who allegedly assaulted, restrained and robbed a Cumberland Township businessman and was caught with the help of two men will have his day in Greene County Common Pleas Court.
All of the charges that township police filed against Matthew R. King, 34, in connection with the June 18 robbery of Rich Rosendale, owner of Rich’s Trading Post, were held for court at a preliminary hearing before Magisterial District Judge Glenn Bates on Friday.
King is charged with robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, flight to avoid apprehension, disarming an officer, theft, unlawful restrain, simple assault, resisting arrest, two counts of disorderly conduct and harassment. He was recommitted to the Greene County Prison on $100,000 straight bail following the hearing.
King’s last known address is 2114 Center Ave., Ford City, but police said King lived in Uniontown for some time prior to the incident and had been homeless.
Township police Chief Craig Miller presented “Good Samaritan” certificates and letters of recognition to two men who noticed the robbery and helped police catch King.
The two men, Eric Smith and Thomas Christopher, noticed a disturbance across Route 21 at Rich’s while they were at work at Route 21 Homes around 1 p.m. that day and took action.
They waved police Detective Tony Gismondi, the first officer to arrive, to the store and told him the suspect, who police later identified as King, was inside.
Gismondi said he heard someone yelling for help and found Rosendale suffering from facial injuries and bound with duct and electrical tape near the bathroom. He had tape over his eyes and face, Gismondi said in his complaint against King.
After seeing King running out of the store, Gismondi said he chased him and yelled for Smith and Christopher to grab him.
They caught up with King on a hillside behind the store and tackled him, but he allegedly fought back and managed to get up off the ground, Gismondi said.
A shot from Gismondi’s taser gun knocked down King, but he removed the probes and allegedly refused orders to surrender, so Gismondi said he shot him several more times with the taser.
King continued to resist and tried to take the weapon from Gismondi’s hand, according to the complaint.
Gismondi said he struck King in the head and repeatedly ordered King to surrender, but he continued to struggle.
Attempts to handcuff King failed, and he allegedly broke free.
Gismondi said he, Smith and Christopher tackled King, but he broke lose again. King made it to the top of the hill despite several blasts of Gismondi’s pepper spray, which hampered his vision, he said.
Miller and Greene County deputy sheriffs Joe French and Ryan Koffler arrived and located King on the hilltop and took him into custody.
Rosendale, who was the Greene County prothonotary during the 1980s and ’90s, was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., where he received several stitches to the left side of his face.
Police allege King stole more than $400, a wallet and business checks from Rosendale.