Two ''no-guns'' Ohio businesses suffer robberies

WKYC.com is reporting that a Brinks security guard was robbed in the food court at Prime Outlets Mall in Lodi while loading an ATM Machine.

Prime Outlets Malls are posted with “no-guns” signs (in Ohio only), not just on the buildings, but in parking lots as well. Mall owners have asserted that these signs make their patrons and leasees safer, but since the postings Prime Outlets has made news for circulating composite drawings after it was believed the “Retail Rapist”, who had already targeted the Jeffersonville location before OhioCCW was law, was reportedly spotted at the mall again by several other store owners. And now there is this:

Outlet malls are known for their great bargains, but a Brinks security guard got a whole lot more than he bargained for Friday when he stopped at a local outlet mall.

It was just before two in the afternoon when the Brinks security truck stopped at the Prime Outlets in Lodi along I-71 in Medina County.

The guards stepped inside the food court to fill up the ATM when someone dressed in a Brinks’ security uniform attacked them.
A mall employee quickly dialed 9-1-1.

They quickly set-up surveillance at the mall’s exits and that’s when Deputy Dan Kohler and his partner Casey noticed two men in a white car who were acting differently.

“Ninety-five percent of the people driving by - they hear my dog barking - they all wanted to look at the dog,” Deputy Kohler explained. “A lot of people were slowing down, motioning for me to pull out … a lot of people are waving 'hi' to the police dog. These two just kept looking straight. They had that look like they’d never even saw me parking three feet off the roadway.”

Deputy Kohler pulled the men over and within minute he knew he had his suspects.

“I did a quick search through the vehicle for guns, popped the trunk and as soon as I popped the trunk, there was a Brinks’ security uniform in there,” he said. “One of our detectives took them back to the outlet mall and they were identified as the ones who did the robbery.”

When OFCC began investigating Prime Outlets’ policy a year ago, calls were referred to Peggy Wimberley, regional Vice President for "the whole west region" according to the Lodi management offices. We spoke with her on June 1, 2004. Wimberley reiterated that Prime Outlets "doesn't want anyone" on their property with a firearm. We asked if they really meant anyone, and they made it clear that the company doesn't even let their own security guards carry firearms.

In a separate incident, an OFCC supporter has submitted the following OhioCCW News about another "no-guns" robbery:

OFCC reported reported in March that a local bank had been robbed.

Lawrence Federal Savings Bank in South Point, Ohio was robbed at gunpoint on Thursday March 18, 2005. What the newspaper fails to mention that this bank and all of its branches post discriminatory "No Guns" signs.

Since then, Oak Hill Banks have purchased Lawrence Federal Savings Bank and taken is parent name.

Deja vu?

Friday, June 3, 2005, the bank was robbed again at gunpoint. The bank still has the "No Guns" signs posted.

This is the third robbery in a small rural community in a county of only about 50,000 residents at the same bank branch in just a year.