Leetonia man arraigned in Lisbon money bag robbery
By TOM GIAMBRONILISBON - The man charged with stealing a money bag filled with cash from a woman in the parking lot of a downtown bank was arraigned Tuesday in court on robbery charges.
Kevin E. Kirby, 35, of state Route 344, Leetonia, did not enter a plea, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday in Columbiana County Municipal Court. A public defender was appointed to represent Kirby, who is being held in the county jail on $200,000 bond.
Kirby is accused of grabbing a money bag containing $255 from Dolly Campbell after she left the First National Community Bank on East Lincoln Way at 2:45 p.m. Monday. Kirby was arrested about 15 minutes later at the Beverage Barn drive-through just north of downtown on state Route 45, where he had gone to allegedly purchase beer with some of the stolen money.
Deborah Brown, an assistant clerk in the Lisbon Water Department, was at the bank making a deposit when Kirby reportedly showed up. "He came in and asked to cash a check but the teller told him they couldn't because he didn't have an account with them," she said, adding he even produced some identification and addressed the teller by name.
"They knew who he was," Brown said.
Kirby reportedly left the bank upset and loitered in the parking lot. Brown said a bank teller returning from lunch saw him hiding behind a car she presumed was his and took down the license plate number.
Also at the bank was Campbell, whose family operates Campbell's Grocery on state Route 45 near West Point. Police officer Shar Daub said Campbell exited the bank with a money bag containing $255 in cash and rolled coins she was taking back to the store when the unarmed Kirby approached her.
"He tried to grab it once, but she held on to it tightly, so he pulled harder," Daub said.
After wresting the bag from Campbell, Kirby jumped into a car and fled. Daub said several other witnesses were able to get the license plate number, but police already knew who they were looking for because Kirby was recognized by bank employees.
Several minutes later, a witness reported seeing the car pull into the Beverage Barn parking lot. Daub arrived to find Kirby emerging from the drive-through after purchasing a single beer with a roll of pennies, and she used her cruiser to block his car from leaving until backup arrived in the form of other officers and county sheriff's deputies.
Police told Kirby to raise his hands to where they could see them but he reportedly refused at first. Then Kirby balked at getting out of the car, so police opened the the door and he was shot with a Taser gun by Sgt. John Hancock of the Lisbon Police Department. Daub said the Taser did its job and they were able to take Kirby into custody and handcuff him.
She said Kirby denied robbing Campbell, saying she dropped her money bags and began screaming when he tried to help her pick them up.
Daub said Kirby could also be facing other charges related to the $100 check he tried to cash. "We're still investigating whose check that was. It may have been stolen," Daub said.
Court records show Kirby has been arrested 25 other times over the past 13 years on traffic and other misdemeanor charges.
