Jan 22, 2016 3 min read

Cooperation among several police agencies, along with a tip from Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers, resulted in the arrest of a Pittsburgh man in connection with last month’s armed robbery of a clerk of a Canonsburg beer distributor.

Terrale J. Blow, 41, was taken into custody Thursday by Pittsburgh police and placed in Allegheny County Jail on a probation warrant.

Canonsburg police were called Dec. 29 to Ross Beverage, 173 E. Pike St., for a report of an armed robbery in progress. Surveillance video showed the robber came into the store wearing a black knit cap, black coat and black jeans with his coat covering his mouth. When the clerk approached, the robber pulled what appeared to be a gun from the waistband of his pants, shoved it into the clerk’s back and demanded money. The clerk put the money on the counter and the robber grabbed it, ran out the door and got into a car parked on Smith Street.

“We were able to get good footage from the surveillance,” said Chief Al Coghill. “We then got a tip from Crime Stoppers.”

Working with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force and Pittsburgh police and vice officers, Canonsburg police were able to identify the driver of the car. The driver told police that he was not aware of Blow’s plans to commit the robbery. He told police that they were driving through Canonsburg when Blow told him to go around the block. The driver purchased a pack of cigarettes at the beer store, returned to his vehicle and drove away.

Blow allegedly told the driver to pull back around. Blow then allegedly entered Ross Beverage. He returned a short time later, jumped in the car and put a handgun on his lap, ordering the driver to “pull off immediately.” When the driver asked Blow what he did, he reportedly responded “I’m sorry, I had to hit that.” The driver told police that he saw a large amount of money in Blow’s jacket.

They returned to Pittsburgh where Blow reportedly gave the driver about $50.

Detective Michael Ledger said the good surveillance video was instrumental in solving the robbery.

“The driver had not seen the video, but he what he told us lined up perfectly to what transpired from what the robber was wearing to where he went after the robbery,” Ledger said.

The driver told Ledger that they had come to the Washington area so Blow could buy heroin. Coghill said Blow is reportedly addicted to heroin, which likely prompted him to rob the store.

“It seemed he stopped there randomly,” Coghill said. “We have learned from other police departments that Blow is a suspect in about six other armed robberies in the Pittsburgh area, possibly even a bank.”

He was arraigned via video Friday afternoon by District Judge David Mark on charges of robbery, aggravated assault, persons not to possess a firearm, theft and reckless endangerment. Mark set bond at $250,000 and scheduled a preliminary hearing for Feb. 24.