Cinnaminson Friendly's Robbery Update, December 5th

Not much more to report on the robbery---I emailed the Burlington County times about the robbery, and I see they have a report about it on December 3rd. Pretty much the same account, but this one has more of the violent details.

By the way, I take some exception to Palmyra's School Superintendent saying that
'Unfortunately, things like this can happen to anyone.'

Things like having a shotgun pointed at your head shouldn't happen to anyone. It's never happened to me, and I don't see why law abiding citizens should ever feel that it's something that is 'normal'.

Here's the link to the story...

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/112-12032008-1631470.html

I heard through the 'grapevine' that the employees present at the time were told they could take a few days off from work. If it were me, I wouldn't report back for work until Friendly's hires an armed security guard. That's what one of my Philly banks had to do a few years back---in fact, he circles the block to make sure none of the patrons are mugged before going in.

If this Cinnaminson crime way persists, I may need to move back to Philly--at least you know where the danger lurks there.

Here's the BCT story...

CINNAMINSON — Police are looking for three robbers who held up 24 teenagers and four employees at gunpoint at a Friendly's restaurant on Route 130 early Saturday morning.

According to Cinnaminson police, two men with handguns and another with a sawed-off shotgun entered the restaurant at 12:27 a.m. The man with the shotgun pointed it at the head of a teenage girl and ordered everyone else to the back of the restaurant, police said. The people were told to leave their belongings, including cell phones, at their tables. The patrons and employees were led into a restroom, where they were ordered to remain.

One of the men leaped over the counter and went directly to the office area and demanded the employee there hand over the money she was counting and open and empty the safe, police said.

The three men, described by police as wearing dark clothing and gloves, fled the scene in a dark colored minivan with more than $1,000 cash. Twenty of the teens were Palmyra High School students who were coming from the school's homecoming dance Friday night. Two other teens were from Cinnaminson High School and were at the restaurant coincidentally, according to Cinnaminson Superintendent Salvatore Illuzzi.

Palmyra Superintendent Rich Perry said the 20 district students were offered counseling Monday morning.

“You could imagine that several of the students were very upset with what had happened,” Perry said. “Unfortunately, things like this can happen to anyone. These kids were just going to an ice cream parlor after a dance. They were really taken back by this so we felt the need to set them up with counselors.”

The two Cinnaminson students also received counseling.

“They are OK,” Illuzzi said. “We took the liberty of talking to the kids and going over what should be done in situations like that.”


Cinnaminson police are asking anyone with information to contact the police department at (856) 829-6667, ext. 22.