A man pointed a gun at a clerk inside Youngwood Vape on Friday, then spent more than 20 minutes in the store before fleeing with cash from the register and roughly $2,000 worth of kratom tablets. Pennsylvania State Police are now asking the public for help identifying him.
Troopers say the robbery happened at the Westmoreland County shop on Friday, according to WPXI. The suspect is described by troopers as a white man standing approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing around 210 pounds. After taking money from the register and grabbing the kratom, he reportedly headed southeast toward BFS and the nearby bike trail.
Suspect Lingered Before Fleeing
The suspect reportedly spent more than 20 minutes inside the store. Anyone with information is asked to call the Pennsylvania State Police Greensburg barracks at 724-832-3288.
A Separate Raid Nearby Raises Questions
The robbery occurred about eleven months after separate law enforcement activity targeting vape shops in Westmoreland County. Any connection between the businesses is unclear. Multiple agencies raided the Youngwood Tobacco and Vape shop, seizing more than $100,000 worth of allegedly illegal products including Delta 8, Delta 10 and THC-A, according to CBS News. The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office said undercover detectives had made several purchases from the shop as part of a larger ongoing investigation into illegal-product sales.
The shop's owner told KDKA on Thursday that he does not believe his business carries illegal products. The district attorney's office said the investigation remains ongoing and that criminal charges are likely pending. Officials also said a clerk at the store was in the United States illegally and was turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with deportation expected.
Pattern of Enforcement Across the County
The Youngwood raid wasn't an isolated action. Detectives had raided the Star Smoke and Vape shop in North Huntingdon Township the week before, seizing Delta 8 and THC-A products along with edibles and dab wax, per CBS News's reporting. Whether that enforcement push has any bearing on Friday's armed robbery at Youngwood Vape remains unknown, and investigators have not said so.
For now, the robbery case remains open, with state police relying on the public to help identify the armed suspect last seen heading toward the bike trail. No arrest has been announced in connection with the holdup.
