NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. — A New Kensington man already in custody is now facing additional charges connected to a series of armed robberies across western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, authorities said.
Trey Bell was charged by Westmoreland County Detectives and New Kensington Police following a May 2024 armed robbery at an AT&T store on Tarentum Bridge Road. According to police, Bell entered through the rear of the store with a revolver and forced two employees to restrain themselves with zip ties before stealing approximately $47,000 in electronics.
“The employees were instructed to wait 20 minutes before contacting police,” investigators noted.
Authorities used traffic and license plate cameras to track a vehicle allegedly used in the robbery. The car, leased to a home health care agency in Penn Hills, was recovered shortly after the crime. DNA evidence obtained from the interior of the vehicle was sent for forensic testing.
Surveillance footage from locations across New Kensington helped police track the vehicle before and after the incident. The DNA, combined with intelligence from neighboring police departments, led investigators to identify Bell as a suspect in multiple similar robberies.
Bell was arrested in December in Columbiana, Ohio, after law enforcement traced stolen electronics to a motel where he and another Pennsylvania man were found. He is also facing charges related to a December 2024 armed robbery at a T-Mobile store in Crafton, Allegheny County.
Bell remains incarcerated as the investigation continues. All charges are accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.