RutlandHerald.com - We Are Vermont

Two deny guilt in store robbery



Toolbox

Published: June 15, 2009

WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Two Chester residents denied charges Tuesday they assisted in a North Springfield convenience story robbery.

Josiah Hale, 19, pleaded innocent to a felony charge of assault and robbery with a weapon. Melinda Wakefield, 27, pleaded innocent to a felony charge of being an accessory after the fact.

March 24, Aaron Montgomery, 19, pleaded innocent to assault and robbery with a weapon. Montgomery is accused of the March 11 robbery at the Midway Mobil convenience store on Route 106, where he allegedly made off with about $100 in cash and two cartons of cigarettes, affidavits state.

According to another affidavit filed with the court, March 31, Springfield Police received a tip that Wakefield drove Montgomery and Hale to the convenience store. While Montgomery allegedly entered the store, Hale allegedly kept watch outside. After Montgomery and Hale returned to the vehicle, Wakefield allegedly drove the three of them to Chester, affidavits state.

Montgomery is being held in Springfield Prison on $25,000 bail, according to court records and the Department of Corrections. Hale and Wakefield are free without posting bail, court records state.








READER COMMENTS


The police knew in March that Mr. Montgomery did not "act" alone, yet this is all coming forward. The Driver, and the "lookout" should be held just the same as Mr. Montgomery, not doubt about it!!!!!!!..
Also alot has been left out from the public, the three of them did not just rob the Mobil station that night...how bout how the person who was working, being held up with a knife, is no small matter, and I'm sure it must have a life altering effect....will they just get a slap on the hand..and as far as Aaron..how much will he really get?..Times are tough for all of us, but when those whom choose to rob stores, homes, cars, etc, and not have a care about how it effects the persons involved...and get either No time served, or very little, tells alot of other that hey, why not a few months in Jail, a place to sleep, and free meals and health care...why not..Oh but first put on the tears so the officer can tell you how he has alot of respect for you, and tell you how proud he is of you...
Why do any stores have anyone working now a days alone to begin with?....
-- Posted by anita fredriksen on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, 10:30 pm EST

report this comment


I agree that both the guys should go to jail for a long time, they are making no contribution to the community anyways, let'smake an example out of em and get TRASH off the streets!. Melinda should be given a lie detector test to see if she knew that they had committed the crime, or if she just thought they bought the cigarettes. If she doesn't pass, then off to jail for her as well. I don't think these are the same ones who did the flags, however; these two have graduated to big boy crimes! Trust me, there are plenty of young PUNKS running around Chester to commit several crimes a week.
-- Posted by Born and Raised in Vermont on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, 11:35 am EST

report this comment


i think that hale and Wakefield should be in jail right along with Montgomery they are just as much involved in the robbery as the one that went in if hale was the look out guy what makes him less involved and Wakefield drove the car so she is just as involved this is what is the matter with the courts and state what ever happened to do the crime pay do the time they will play the system for a couple of yrs and cost the taxpayer thousands of dollars and at the end they will get a slap on the wrist and have to go to counseling at the taxpayers dime i would rather pay for them to do time and let them know that what they did is wrong and if they do it again they will do more time but longer . counseling does not work i bet that these guys have been in counseling more than once so they know what to say to get out of counseling early the counselor will write a letter to the court saying they admitted what they did was wrong and that are sorry and that they have come to realize that . then they will walk out and be joking about it to their buddies
-- Posted by jackie fowler on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, 11:31 am EST

report this comment


Do you suppose these are the same ones who stole the flags?
-- Posted by None None on Mon, Jun 15, 2009, 10:21 am EST

report this comment

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Register | Log In

Logout