Troopers Foil Attempted Armed Robbery
MORGANTOWN – Two armed robbery suspects ran into more than they bargained for
when they attempted to rob a local convenience store in Morgantown.
On Tuesday, January 22, 2008, Troopers from the Morgantown Detachment of the
West Virginia State Police received an anonymous tip that the Exxon station on
US 119 (Grafton Road) was going to be robbed. They responded to the store as
quickly as possible and were able to position themselves inside the convenience
store. Corporal T. W. Goodnight posed as a patron and Corporal J. D. Rogers
positioned himself inside the store office. Trooper First Class D. E. Barger was
just outside the store acting as a backup for both Corporal Rogers and Corporal
Goodnight.
Just prior to 10:00 pm, two subjects, dressed all in black with masks,
approached the store. One of the subjects entered the store and approached the
counter with a knife and demanded money. Immediately, Corporal Goodnight and
Corporal Rogers apprehended the subject. The second subject, who was also armed
with a knife, ran from the store when he realized the robbery had been foiled.
Corporal Goodnight, seeing that the second subject had begun to flee, jumped the
counter and pursued the subject into the parking lot, where he was captured with
the assistance of TFC Barger.
Jeweliea Belt, age 26, of Morgantown and Fralbert Arias, age 19, of Parkersburg
were arrested and charged with armed robbery and conspiring to commit an armed
robbery.
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