PARMA, Ohio — Three men were apprehended by Parma police Tuesday night as they were preparing to rob a fourth gas station within the time span of about an hour, according to a police spokesperson.
Parma police reports show that the men allegedly robbed a Speedway in the 13000 block of Brookpark Road at gunpoint at about 11:50 p.m. They then robbed the Shell station in the 5800 block of Ridge Road at 12:40 a.m. At that point, Parma police began patrolling open gas stations and 24-hour businesses, concentrating on areas north of city hall.
About 9 minutes later, the three men allegedly robbed a third location — the 7/11 in the 6500 block of Ridge Road, according to the police report. By that point, Parma police units were driving around to several gas stations in the area to check on them.
At about 12:55 a.m., a Parma Heights police officer was on scene at the Sheetz in the 6700 block of Ridge Road and alerted Parma officers to a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot.
As the three men were preparing the rob the Sheetz, they were apprehended by Parma offices, according to the police report, which states an officer deployed a TASER on one of the men.
The three men taken into custody were aged 19, 28 and 35, police said. Two are from Springfield, Ohio and one is from Warren. Their identities are being withheld by police pending formal charges.
A gun was used in all three robberies, and a gun was recovered from the truck the men were in at the time of their arrests.
Parma police officials said this is an ongoing investigation, and the men may have possibly committed other robberies of which police are not yet aware.
Parma police were assisted in this apprehension by Parma Heights police and Seven Hills police, officials said.
