Cookie thief admits to crime spree
Robbed 76-year-old
  • Randall James Hecker Jr.

By Staff
Lancaster
Updated Oct 28, 2009 00:01

A young man pleaded guilty in Lancaster County Court on Tuesday to a series of crimes, including stealing cookies from an elderly Washington Boro woman.

Randall James Hecker Jr., 20, of Calvert Lane, admitted to his part in a two-week crime spree that police said began with the robbery of a 76-year-old woman.

Hecker and his co-defendant, Antwan Ressel, demanded guns and money from the woman, police said at the time, but when she said she had none, they asked for cookies and cash instead.

They returned later and robbed her again, police said, as well as committing crimes in four other jurisdictions.

The crime spree, which also included an attempted home-invasion robbery, ended when police followed Hecker and Ressel to a Manor Township storage unit filled with about $4,000 worth of stolen goods.

Police in Manor and East Hempfield townships, as well as Millersville Borough and Lancaster city, worked together to solve the case, file charges and sort through the recovered loot.

Judge Jeffery Wright accepted Hecker's guilty plea to three counts each of robbery and burglary, plus four counts each of theft and conspiracy and one count of attempted burglary.

The judge ordered a background investigation and psychological evaluation before imposing sentence.

Hecker told the judge he would have something to say about the crimes but was saving his speech for sentencing.

Defense attorney Patricia Spotts said Hecker immediately cooperated with police after his arrest.

She asked for the psychological evaluation, saying that Hecker's "family was very concerned about him," describing him as "out of control."

Ressel, 22, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty to the long list of charges against him, including two separate robberies, as well as burglaries, thefts, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and gun violations.

In March, he was sentenced by Judge Joseph Madenspacher to 18 to 36 years in state prison and ordered to pay $7,000 in restitution to his victims.

jkelley@lnpnews.com

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