An indictment has been handed down to a former Marc's supermarket employee and her romantic partner, who is accused of intelligently plotting a $147,000 armed robbery at the store in Euclid, Ohio. Ariel Miller, age 29, and Cartier Malone Pickens, age 31, face multiple criminal charges, which include aggravated robbery and conspiracy, according to information released by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor's Office and reported by WKYC.
The prosecutor's office paints a detailed scene of the crime, alleging that on February 5, 2023, Pickens entered Marc's store and coerced Miller, who was employed there, to help him systematically steal money from the safety of the cash office. In a further description obtained by FOX8, Pickens is said to have pressed a gun into Miller's back, demanded she fill his backpack with cash, and subsequently pistol-whipped her before fleeing the premises. Miller then called the police to report the heist.
According to the authorities, an investigation revealed that the robbery was premeditated, with Miller and Pickens allegedly exchanging text messages to coordinate their actions meticulously. A February 4 text message exhorted "tomorrow .. stick to plan" while instructions sent on February 5 urged to "Have your hood on" as per Cleveland19 and "Make sure yu [sic] delete everything out your phone including this," as reported by WKYC.
The pair was ultimately apprehended on Thursday through a joint effort by the Euclid police and the Shaker Heights Police Department, with the help of the FBI and the US Marshals Service’s Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force. The grand jury indictment includes one count of aggravated robbery and conspiracy, among other charges. How the defense will argue vigorously against the prosecutor's allegations remains to be seen.
