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Michael Eugene Ermold Jr., 57 of Lancaster (who is reportedly experiencing homelessness), is accused of attacking a woman near mile marked 36.8 shortly before 7 p.m. on June 4, the police detailed in a release. The woman reported that he assaulted her inside of her vehicle "took the [her] cash before throwing the purse back into the vehicle [... then] fleeing on foot," according to the release.
Officers Mitch Rogers and Jeremy Sorensen were called to the scene and found "a male matching the physical description trying to cross the center median at mile marker 37," as stated in the release adding that "Ermold was taken into custody without incident."
While being interviewed by police, it was noted the woman suffered "fresh bruising to her face and arms after a struggle occurred for the purse while inside the vehicle, which was parked on the shoulder of the highway."
Ermold was charged with felony robbery, felony theft, a misdemeanor for simple assault, and a summary offense of harassment, the police said and court records confirmed.
He has been remanded to the Lancaster County Prison after Magisterial District Judge Clark Bearinger set his bail at $50,000 at his preliminary hearing at 7:43 a.m. on June 5, according to his latest court docket.
Ermold has criminal records in Berks, Chester, and Montgomery counties for summary and misdemeanor offenses dating back to the mid-1980s. These charges are his first in Lancaster County, according to court documents.
His preliminary hearing has been set before Judge David L. Ashworth at 1:15 p.m. on June 20, as detailed in his most recent docket.
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