Man charged with robbing Domino’s at gunpoint

A Lehighton man has been charged with robbing a Domino’s Pizza at gunpoint.

Matthew Hammel, 35, faces charges of robbery; theft by unlawful taking; and receiving stolen property.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by patrolman Joel Gulla of the Lehighton Borough Police Department:

At 12:29 a.m. Tuesday, the borough police department was dispatched to Domino’s Pizza for the report of an armed robbery.

Gulla spoke with a female employee who said she had just been robbed at gunpoint.

The employee said that while getting into her vehicle, a man wearing a black-hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and a shiny mask ripped open the car door and pointed a black semi automatic handgun at her and demanded her to hand over the deposit bag that contained $276.

She said that in fear for her life, she threw the deposit bag at the man, who grabbed it and ran from the scene toward Main Lane.

Police determined that the man was most likely a former employee who had previous knowledge of the deposit times and travel route.

Police conducted a search on the travel path which led to Hammel’s residence in the 100 block of Bankway Street.

A black sweatshirt and mask were found in the grass in the area of the bypass and Bankway Street directly across from the suspect’s residence.

At the residence, police located Hammel, who was sweating profusely and bleeding from his left arm.

A woman at the house identified the sweatshirt and mask as belonging to Hammel.

Police also found the deposit bag and stolen cash at the house.

Hammel was taken to the police station and admitted to robbing Domino’s to support his drug habit and support his family.

Hammel also admitted to pointing the gun at the female employee, but said it was a BB gun that he used, and not a real gun, and that after the robbery, he threw the gun into the grass nearby.

He is currently incarcerated in the Carbon County Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 bail, and is scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Oct. 9 before District Judge Eric M. Schrantz of Jim Thorpe.