SALEM TWP. — Tips from the public and DNA tests helped police identify a man who allegedly robbed the Food Express here twice. Now officers are hoping residents can help find him.

Christopher P. Broadt, 26, of 2208 Bentley Drive, Bloomsburg, is the man who told a clerk at the convenience store he had a gun before cleaning out $300 from the cash register, plus stealing $110 worth of products and the clerk’s cell phone on July 30, according to officers.

Then Broadt allegedly returned to the store Aug. 6 and robbed the same clerk again, this time escaping with $1,075 in cash.
The first incident took place around 6:47 p.m.

A robber wearing a green ski mask, a black winter coat, jeans with holes in the knees, and black shoes with white soles walked into the store at 804 E. Fifth St. with his right hand in his pocket.

He told the clerk and a juvenile customer that he had a gun, and ordered them both to lie on the floor.

Then he went around the counter to empty the cash register. He also took 14 packs of Newport cigarettes and a roll of Copenhagen chewing tobacco. Before leaving, he stole the clerk’s $576 Samsung phone and the store’s $30 cordless phone.

Clothes found

The next day, staff at Bowers Bus Barn, located at 800 E. Fifth St., told police they had found a green ski mask, black winter jacket and American Eagles pants size 36-by-32 with holes in the knees in the rear of one of their buses. The rear door of the bus was open a crack.

One of the workers said a man in his mid-20s wearing jeans and shoes that matched those of the robber had come up behind her and smiled at her as she sat in the front parking lot around the time of the robbery. He was on a cell phone, and paced back and forth across the lot; he seemed to be having an argument with whoever was on the phone before he walked away, heading south on Line Street, she said.

New cameras

Meanwhile, officers also put up two surveillance cameras behind the convenience store and overlooking the rear of the bus barn.
On Aug. 6 at 3:33 p.m., the same clerk called police to report another robbery.

The robber was once again wearing black shoes with white soles, this time with a red sweatshirt with a fox logo and the hood up over a ball cap, red gloves and black pants. Once again, he ordered the clerk to the floor, according to charges.

The thief opened the cash register, put $1,075 into a plastic bag, then took 12 packs of Newport and Camel cigarettes worth $118.56 before leaving, police said.

Officers also discovered one of their cameras, a Moultrie M-990i with a security box and 16 gig SD card worth $240 was missing.
Workers nearby found a red sweatshirt in the woods behind the same bus where the clothes had been found before.

Missing suspect

But police still had surveillance footage from other cameras.

They publicized a photo of the suspect. At least 30 people called officers to report that the man in the photo was Broadt, according to charges.

Officer got a warrant to test Broadt’s DNA, and sent a sample taken from him to the State Police lab at the Wyoming barracks, along with the green ski mask and the red hooded sweatshirt.

Sure enough, his DNA matched the DNA on the clothes, police said.

Since then, however, officers have been unable to find him.

Chief Robert Kishbaugh asked anyone with information about Broadt’s whereabouts to call him at 570-752-3772.

Broadt is charged with two counts of robbery, two counts of making terroristic threats, eight counts of theft and eight counts of receiving stolen property, according to paperwork filed by Ptlm. Tom Hegland.

Susan Schwartz covers the Berwick area. She can be reached at 570-387-1234 ext. 1306 and susan.schwartz@pressenterprise.net, or followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PESueSchwartz.