DELANCO — Returning to rob the same small grocery store he robbed a month earlier might not have been a smart thing to do. But that didn't stop Matthew E. Rosiana, according to Sgt. Brian Prior of Delanco police.
Police said that Rosiana, 20, of the 300 block of Middleton Street in Riverside, and Steven A. Skillings, 20, of the 200 block of Whittaker Street in Riverside, threatened two cashiers in the Liberty Mart, at 700 Burlington Avenue at about 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
Skillings pulled out a knife when the cashiers did not cooperate, and a struggle ensued, Prior said. A handyman outside the store saw the ruckus and jumped into the fray, Prior said. He and the two cashiers captured Rosiana as he was trying to flee, and they called police.
About an hour later, three police officers and a German shepherd tracked down Skillings at an acquaintance's house in the 700 of Third Street.
During the robbery, one of the employees was punched in the face, but was not severely injured, Prior said.
``Everybody was on them so fast,'' Prior said. ``Matthew was caught and he had the keys to the getaway car. The other guy was running through the yards. He had no way to get away.''
Both Skillings and Rosiana confessed to the robbery, police said. They said Rosiana also admitted he was one of the robbers who took $2,500 from the same store on Feb. 1.
``They did everything the same,'' Prior said. ``They drove the same car. They parked in the same spot. They tried to beat up the guys, and then they pulled out a knife.''
Skillings and Rosiana were charged with robbery, aggravated assault and conspiracy to rob and assault, Prior said. They were held at the Burlington County Jail after failing to post $12,500 bail each.
