James E. Hill, whom Brookfield police have charged with robbing the Circle K convenience store on Oct. 28, turned himself into the police department Nov. 12, Chief Dan Faustino said.
Hill, 44, of New Castle, had called the department after news reports on the case started surfacing on Oct. 31. He called the detective again last week and said that he was going to turn himself in but didn’t say when, Faustino said.
Hill was arrested without incident at the police station, processed, and sent to Trumbull County Jail, Faustino said. Hill will be arraigned Nov. 14 by Trumbull County Eastern District Court Judge Marty D. Nosich, the chief said.
Hill has been charged with aggravated robbery.
Hill walked into Circle K, 902 S. Irvine Ave., at 2:42 a.m. wearing a gray hoodie with the hood pulled up over a black skull cap, gray pants, sandals and white socks and asked the clerk for a pack of cigarettes, police said.
As the clerk was retrieving the smokes, Hill told him to empty the drawer, police said.
promoThe clerk was confused, saying he thought Hill wanted cigarettes, and Hill told him to hurry up, saying, “I’m not playing with you,” police said.
Hill, 44, of New Castle, “acted like he had a gun in his hoodie pocket,” said Brookfield Detective Aaron Kasiewicz.
The clerk did not see a gun.
The clerk handed over $300, and Hill walked out of the store at 2:43a.m., heading in the direction of Hubbard, police said.
Brookfield police said they were familiar with Hill from past encounters.
Three days prior to the Circle K robbery, Hill pleaded guilty to a charge of theft stemming from an April robbery of a dollar store in New Castle. He was released on bond following his plea hearing.
Hill is supposed to be sentenced Dec 3 in Lawrence County, but that hearing date is in jeopardy as Trumbull County now has control of him. It will be up to officials in each state to decide how scheduling goes for each of Hill’s court appearances, Faustino said.