Three men accused of robbing a Canadian motorist by force at the Interstate 75 rest area near Piqua in October pleaded not guilty to felony robbery indictments this week in Miami County Common Pleas Court.
Kurt Doyle, 54, of Cincinnati, Timothy Keeton, 67, of Cincinnati, and Jerry W. Chandler Jr., 47, of Middletown are accused of stealing $5,200 from a motorist they allegedly approached sitting in his camper in the southbound rest area, the Ohio State Highway Patrol post in Piqua reported.
>> 4 men arrested after robbery at Miami County rest stop
According to a press release from the patrol, a man knocked on the camper door, advised the victim that there was a problem outside, and asked him out of the camper.
Once outside the camper, the suspects attempted to engage the victim in a card game. The victim said he picked up a card and one of the men grabbed an envelope of cash he had with him.
The four men then fled in a gold Lincoln heading southbound on I-75. A Tipp City police officer observed the suspect vehicle driving southbound I-75 near milepost 66 and initiated a traffic stop. The OSHP arrived on the scene and all four men were taken into custody without incident.
One of four men originally charged in the incident was not indicted. The grand jury declined to indict John M. Branham, 61, of Cincinnati, according to documents filed in the common pleas court.
Doyle, Keeton and Chandler were released on their own recognizance following arraignments. Their pretrial hearings were scheduled for Monday, Feb. 4.
