Man caught after armed hammer robbery at gas station drops EBT card at the scene
HEMPFIELD TWP, PA — A failed attempt to buy items with a bank card turned into an armed robbery at a local convenience store Tuesday afternoon — and ended with a suspect identified after leaving his EBT card behind.
Troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police arrested 28-year-old Matthew Shashura of Greensburg following a robbery at the Par Mar convenience store located along Route 136 in Hempfield Township. The incident happened around 3:15 p.m. after the suspect entered the store armed with a claw hammer and demanded cash.
According to investigators, the store clerk told police that the man — described as having blonde hair and wearing a dark blue hoodie — first tried to make three separate purchases using banking cards. Each of the transactions was declined.
Moments later, the man allegedly pulled out a hammer, threatened the clerk, and demanded money. The store employee complied, handing over cash from the register along with $20 in prepaid gas at the pump. The suspect then fled the scene.
Reviewing surveillance video from inside the store, troopers saw the same man trying to use multiple cards at the counter before the robbery. During the encounter, one of the cards was dropped. Police later recovered an EBT card labeled with the name Matthew Shashura on a store shelf near the counter.
Shashura was subsequently identified and arrested. He now faces several criminal charges, including robbery, simple assault, theft, recklessly endangering another person, and receiving stolen property.
The case remains active, and Shashura is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
—
Key Points
- Suspect allegedly used a claw hammer to rob a Hempfield Township convenience store
- Surveillance video showed the suspect attempting failed card transactions before the robbery
- Police identified the suspect after finding an EBT card with his name at the scene