Alleged robber nabbed after leaving behind traffic citation

By Jackie Valley

Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2010 | 12:24 p.m.

Metro Police caught a suspected robber who allegedly struck at least twice in one night after they found a traffic citation he had left behind at a business in the Southern Highlands community Monday.

Police charged Christopher DiBlasio, 18, in connection with an armed robbery at a Terrible Herbst convenience store at 10590 Southern Highlands Parkway and a Dotties store at 9185 S. Jones Blvd. early Monday morning. His alleged accomplice, Jason Wiley, 27, was charged on suspicion of assisting with the robbery at Dotties, police said.

According to an arrest report, a clerk at the Terrible Herbst recognized DiBlasio when he entered the store at about 3:30 a.m. Monday because Metro officers had stopped by earlier in the night to show her a photo of a man who allegedly robbed a nearby store.

After lingering in the store for about 15 minutes, police say DiBlasio pointed a gun at the clerk and security officer, demanding money from the register drawer, safe and slot machines. When the clerk said she couldn't open the safe or slot machines, police say he fired two rounds at a slot machine and fled the store on foot with about $80, candy and two sodas, according to an arrest report.

Police responded to the robbery and found a traffic citation DiBlasio had left at the store. The arrest report indicated he had received the citation about 1 1/2 hours before allegedly committing the robbery.

Shortly after 4 a.m., police said DiBlasio entered the Dotties store and demanded money from the register and safe. When the employee couldn't open the safe, DiBlasio allegedly became angry and demanded alcohol and cigarettes while pointing a gun at the employee's head, according to an arrest report. He fled with about $300 and $20 worth of cigarettes in a blue four-door vehicle that drove southbound on Jones Boulevard, police said.

At 4:17 a.m., police pulled a car over that matched the description and noticed a gun, a jar containing rolled coins and a bag with money inside the vehicle along with DiBlasio and Wiley, who was driving, according to an arrest report. The victims of the two robberies and witnesses identified DiBlasio as the alleged robber, police said.

Police said Wiley had $1,384.37 stuffed in his shoes and clothes when he was arrested.

Metro Police arrested DiBlasio and Wiley and are investigating their involvement in several other business robberies that occurred Saturday, Sunday and Monday.