North Adams Man Arrested in Williamstown Armed RobberyBy Stephen Dravis, iBerkshires Staff 11:09AM / Thursday, September 28, 2023 | |
| A photo of the pellet gun connected with an alleged armed robbery in Williamstown on Wednesday. Williamstown Police said, 'these weapons look identical to functioning handguns until examined closely.' |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A North Adams man was arrested Wednesday night and charged with armed robbery in an incident at the Cumberland Farms on Main Street, police said in a news release.
Joshua Piantoni, 41, of Whittesly Avenue, was held overnight and transported to court on Thursday morning, police said.
At about 11:30 on Wednesday night, police received a call from the clerk at Cumberland Farms reporting, "the store had just been robbed at gunpoint and the suspect had fled down Main Street towards North Adams in a four-wheeled ATV," the WPD news release reads.
The Williamstown Police notified North Adams, and police from both departments located a "male party" on an ATV, the news release read. After a short chase, police arrested Piantoni near the Ashton Avenue rail crossing in North Adams.
"Money taken from the store as well as a pellet gun were recovered on the suspect at the time of his arrest," police said.
Piantoni was charged with armed robbery, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended license, unsafe operation of recreational vehicle, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and a recreational vehicle helmet violation, according to the news release.
"We are thankful for the quick, professional actions of the involved officers of WPD and NAPD that this subject was taken into custody without incident," Williamstown Police Chief Michael Ziemba said in the news release.
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