An Eastlake man has been charged in connection with an
armed robbery on Monday of a gas station
in Wickliffe. Joseph Pietropaolo, 32, of 33897 Roberts Road, was charged with aggravated robbery, a first degree felony. Shortly after 7 a.m. on Monday a man left his 1992 Chevrolet Blazer running and unattended at a Speedway gas station at Lakeshore Boulevard and Vine Street in Willowick when a man, identified by police as Pietropaolo, entered the SUV and drove away, said Wickliffe Police Lt. Pat Hengst. Then at 7:18 a.m., Pietropaolo allegedly entered the Speedway in Wickliffe near the intersection of Lloyd Road and Euclid Avenue. He then threatened the clerk with an 8-inch knife and stole money from the register, Hengst said. Pietropaolo also allegedly told the clerk he was robbing the station because he had a drug problem, said Hengst. Upon fleeing the scene in the SUV, Pietropaolo was involved in a crash at the intersection of Lloyd and Euclid, but he continued driving, the lieutenant said. While searching for the suspect in known drug areas near the Cleveland and East Cleveland border, Wickliffe detectives saw the Blazer on Woodworth Avenue in East Cleveland at about 2 p.m. A vehicle chase ensued and Pietropaolo, who was driving the SUV, was arrested after a struggle with officers. East Cleveland Police assisted in the arrest, Hengst said. A 31-year-old East Cleveland resident was also in the SUV but was cooperative with police and was released after questioning. Pietropaolo was arraigned in Willoughby Municipal Court on Tuesday. Magistrate Judge Almis Stempuzis set Pietropaolo’s bond at $250,000 cash or surety, which was not posted. A preliminary healing has been set for Thursday. Additional charges are expected to be filed in the future, said Hengst.
