East Lampeter Township, PA – East Lampeter Township Detectives said that on Friday, August 26, 2016, they filed charges against Joshua Ray Tyner, 29, of Newark, Delaware, and Lorraine Spradley, 46, also of Newark. Police said the pair were arrested for a August 17, 2016 armed robbery, which occurred at the Zales Diamond store in East Lampeter Township. The store is located in the Tanger Outlet center on Route 30.
Detectives said that the Tyner entered the Zales store shortly after it opened wearing a mask and threatened two female Zales employees with a handgun. Police said Tyner forced the employees into a backroom, where he restrained the employees with duct tape.
Tyner then emptied a large amount of jewelry, from the display cases into bags and fled the store, officials said. Authorities said one of the employees was able to quickly free herself and call 911.
Shortly thereafter a Strasburg Boro Police officer began following a vehicle that was seen leaving the area, police said. Before a vehicle stop could be initiated the vehicle, a silver Hyundai Sedan, fled from the Strasburg officer, according to police. The driver, Tyner, eventually abandoned the vehicle in Christiana Boro and fled on foot into a large wooded area, police said.
Multiple police agencies and K-9 officers responded to the area but Tyner was not found during the extensive search. Authorities said that all of the stolen jewelry was recovered.
During their investigation, police said that evidence collected helped to identified Tyner as the robbery suspect. Further investigation showed that Spradley was an accomplice to the robbery, according to police.
Police said Tyner was extradited back to Lancaster County where he was arraigned and is now being held in lieu of $2.5 million dollars bail.
Officials said that Spradley remains in custody in Delaware and is awaiting extradition to Lancaster County. Both Suspects were charged with Robbery (F-1), Criminal Conspiracy to Commit Robbery (F-!), Kidnapping to Facilitate any Felony or Flight Thereafter (F-1), Terroristic Threats (M-1), and Simple Assault (M-2).
Image Credits: East Lampeter Township Police
