68°
Twenty-two-year-old Zackery Maximus Tucker of Quincy, Michigan and 35-year-old Caleb James-Lorenze Simpson of Clarklake, Michigan are each charged with robbery and related counts, prosecutors said.
Investigators believe the pair walked into Comic Collection, 83 Bustleton Pike, on Sept. 18, 2022, and pretended to be customers.
They asked the 61-year-old clerk to get an item from a high shelf, then knocked him to the ground when he was up on a ladder, authorities claim. Tucker and Simpson then beat the worker with brass knuckles, restrained him with zip ties, and threatened him with a knife if he did not comply, according to officials.
Police said the pair filled two duffel bags with a laptop, the victim’s keys, cash, comic books, Pokémon cards, action figures, and other store merchandise.
The shopkeep was still zip-tied and lying on the floor when officers arrived, the DA's Office said. He "suffered numerous contusions, lacerations, and broken ribs," according to the release.
Police said the robbers ditched the duffel bags and some items of clothing in a nearby wooded area while fleeing officers.
Last December, over a year after the robbery, a Lower Southampton detective received a tip that Simpson and another trucker – later identified as Tucker – were the culprits, the DA's Office said.
DNA evidence from the discarded clothing also linked Simpson to the robbery, prosecutors said.
Tucker was arraigned in a Bucks County court on Monday, March 18 and was unable to post his $300,000 bail, court records show. Simpson is said to be in custody in Michigan and awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Allentown and receive free news updates.
