There's something about Ashley Smith's driving that keeps getting her in trouble with police.

Being a redhead doesn't seem to help either.

Last year, an elderly Washington Boro woman told police that while two men were robbing her of cash and cookies, she noticed that their getaway driver was a young, redheaded woman.

Police were able to identify the woman as Smith, 22, of River Road, in Conestoga.

The crime spree was quickly snapped and all three suspects, including Smith, were arrested.

Then, last month, a man was found beaten and robbed in a Washington Boro park. Driving the car, he told police, was a young, redheaded woman.

Smith was identified as that woman and now she and three other men have been charged in connection with that robbery, according to Manor Township Police.

While free on bail from the first incident, Smith has been stopped twice by police for traffic violations, police said.

The first time, it resulted in the arrest of her passenger, who was wanted for an unrelated burglary in Manor Township, police said, and the second time, when a state trooper discovered she was wanted for the Washington Boro robbery.

Today, Smith and one of the three suspects in last month's robbery, Eduardo Ramos-Thomas, 26, of West Orange Street, are in Lancaster County Prison. Two other suspects, Ahmeen Clanton, 23, of New Holland Avenue, and an unidentified man, have not yet been located by police.

All four face charges of robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault and theft, police said.

The latest robbery was discovered around 2:30 a.m. on March 7, police said, when a passing motorist called 911 after being flagged down by an injured man standing in the park, at the corner of Routes 999 and 441 in Washington Boro.

Manor Township Police said the 24-year-old victim told them that four people in a car had agreed to drive him to a relative's home, but instead drove to the park where they dragged him out of the car, punched him, kicked him, went through his pockets and stole his money, then abandoned him.

The victim was visiting a friend in Lancaster County when he met the carload of alleged robbers, he told police, including a redheaded woman he identified as Smith.

Manor Township Police Detective C. Michael Phenneger immediately entered Smith's information into a national police computer system.

The following day, a state trooper in Bedford County stopped a car on the Pennsylvania Turnpike for a traffic violation and noticed that the driver, Smith, was wanted for robbery in Lancaster County. She was taken into custody and later returned to Lancaster County Prison.

On Thursday night, another state trooper in Chester County stopped a different woman's car and this time, discovered Ramos-Thomas, the passenger, was wanted for the recent robbery. He has since been committed to Lancaster County Prison.

The unnamed suspect was described by police as a black male, about 22 years old, 6 feet tall, about 210 pounds, with the nicknames "Rick" or "L." Anyone with information is asked to called Manor Township Police at 299-5231.

Prior to last month's robbery, police said Smith was stopped for another traffic violation when police discovered Ramos-Thomas in the car.

Phenneger said Manor Township Police had a warrant for his arrest for burglary, theft, conspiracy and a firearms violation, in connection with an October 2006 burglary on Valley Road. He, too, was released on bail, police said.

As for the first set of charges, stemming from the January 2008 crime spree that included robbing an elderly Washington Boro woman, Smith's friends at the time, Antwan Ressel and Randall James Hecker Jr., were charged with the more serious offenses. Smith was charged with receiving stolen property, hindering apprehension and a firearms violation.

Hecker, 20, of Calvert Lane, like Smith, is also still awaiting trial. Ressel, 22, of East Marion Street, was sentenced last month to 18 to 36 years in state prison after pleading guilty to the long list of charges against him, including robbery.


Staff writer Janet Kelley can be reached at jkelley@LNPnews.com or 481-6026.