Thieving trio gets shot at, nabbed — Shopper takes action vs. armed robbers

Published 9:40 pm Monday, April 9, 2018

A trio of suspected thieves who robbed a Dollar General at gunpoint are in custody after a Good Samaritan shot at their car to stop them.

James O’Quinn and Trelin Courdell McWilliams were arrested late Friday night following an armed robbery at the dollar store on Hwy. 84 West, said Lincoln County Sheriff Steve Rushing. A 16-year-old male traveling with them was also charged with armed robbery and sent to the Adams County Juvenile Detention Center, Rushing said.

O’Quinn, 26, of 2137 E. Hwy. 84, Meadville, entered the store at closing time around 9 p.m. while several customers were still inside, he said.

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Witnesses said he displayed a handgun to the clerk and took money from the register.

He ran out to the Chevy Malibu and they left, but not before witnesses were able to get a description of the vehicle.

One witness did more than just take notes. He took aim.

“One of the customers saw it, came outside and retrieved his shotgun and fired a shot at the tires of the car,” Rushing said.

While he managed to shoot the car, he didn’t flatten a tire.

But based on the description, Brookhaven police officers located the Malibu at Hwy. 51 and Hwy. 550 at a convenience store and apprehended the three suspects.