A robber struck the Hess Express service station at Gap early Thursday morning, Lancaster state police said.

The bandit, who was an unknown male, entered the service station store at 5387 Lincoln Highway East shortly before 4 a.m. and ordered the cashier to remove money from the registers, Trooper Michele Smith said.

Police would not say if the suspect displayed any weapon. He fled from the area in an unknown direction.

Anyone with information about the robber is asked to contact Lancaster state police at 299-7650 or Lancaster City/County CrimeStoppers at 1-800-322-1913.

Also on Thursday, New Holland police learned of a burglary at the Community Health Food Store at 12 S. Railroad Ave., in the borough.

Unknown suspects entered the business by throwing a rock through a window. Various items, including a small amount of cash and a Dell laptop computer, were stolen, police said.

In other police investigations:

• Elizabethtown police said Sharon Lee Gutshall, 38, who had been an Elizabethtown resident, has been charged with theft by deception and identity theft.

From mid-July through Aug. 8, Gutshall deceived a senior citizen into lending her money, which she had no intention of paying back, police said.

Gutshall used a different name, gained the victim's trust, and obtained $270 from him, police said.

Gutshall's current address is unknown, police said.

• Dwarlen S. Martinez, 28, of South Prince Street, has been charged with theft by deception from a Nov. 21 incident involving area Kmart stores, Manheim Township police said.

Police said Martinez took items from a shelf at the Fruitville Pike Kmart and took them to the store's service desk, where she received a store credit for $57.

Martinez used the store credit to make a few purchases. She then took those items to the Kmart store at East Towne Mall in East Lampeter Township, where she returned them for cash, police said.

• Manheim Township police have charged Sylvia R. Mitchell, 40, of Christian Street, Philadelphia, with theft by deception and bad checks. Police said on Nov. 17 Mitchell used a worthless check to purchase $578 worth of merchandise at R.B. Shap Shoes, 1517 Lititz Pike.

• New Holland police are citing Peter L. Stoltzfus, 24, of 2981 New Holland Pike, Lancaster, for disorderly conduct from a Thursday morning incident at the Sheetz store at 698 W. Main St. (Route 23), New Holland.

Police said Stoltzfus became angry when the sandwich he had ordered was not made fast enough and he threw a bottle of iced tea on the floor, causing it to shatter.


Staff writer John M. Hoober III can be reached at jhoober@LNPnews.com or 481-6027.