Co-workers, video help nab suspect in armed robbery of woman in Erie - Erie Times-News

ERIE, Pennsylvania — Collaborative efforts between alert employees and high-quality surveillance footage have led to the arrest of an Erie man suspected of robbing a woman at gunpoint on Christmas Eve, police reported.

The robbery took place on December 24, 2025, at approximately 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of a retail plaza in the 2500 block of West 12th Street. The victim, an employee at a nearby retail store, was walking to her vehicle after her shift when she was approached by an armed man wearing a dark jacket. The suspect pulled a handgun, pointed it at her, and demanded her purse and vehicle keys before fleeing on foot.

Distressed, the victim ran back inside the store, where her co-workers comforted her and contacted the authorities. Several co-workers immediately assisted police by reviewing the store's exterior security footage. They noticed the suspect had been loitering near the store entrance prior to the robbery, and one employee recognized him as a regular customer who had visited the store earlier that week.

Using the store's transaction records from the suspect's previous visit, along with clear security video, Erie police were able to identify the suspect as 34-year-old Brandon Reynolds. Police obtained an arrest warrant and located Reynolds at a residence on Cascade Street on Christmas Day.

Reynolds was arrested without incident. During a search of his residence, police recovered the victim's stolen purse, credit cards, and a replica firearm that was used in the robbery. Reynolds has been charged with robbery, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and simple assault.

He was arraigned on December 25 and is currently held at the Erie County Prison on a $100,000 bond. The victim was shaken but uninjured in the incident.

"The swift resolution of this case is a testament to the fast actions of the victim's co-workers and the quality of the store's security system," said Erie Police Detective Sgt. Michael Suchy. "Their willingness to step in and help their colleague made all the difference in bringing this suspect to justice."