Third Suspect Captured In Adult Store Robbery In Bethel Township

By: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

BETHEL TOWNSHIP — Finally police have captured the third and final suspect wanted in the armed robbery of a popular Bethel Township adult store on Tuesday Oct. 25.

Samantha Y. Huntington, 20, is now facing conspiracy charges for aggravated assault, robbery, simple assault and other offenses in the armed robbery of Midway Gift & Novelty located at 341 Midway Road on Sept. 12.

The other two suspects in custody — Bethel Township residents Cody L. Koller, 24, and Fred L. Baumgardner Jr., 51 — are also facing multiple charges.

Fred L. Baumgardner, who is accused of being the getaway driver, was arrested Sept. 22 while Cody L. Koller was taken into custody on Sept. 27.

The Hamburg State Police Released the following to the press:

Troopers responded to Midway Gift & Novelty about 3:30 a.m., where a clerk told them an assailant had struck him several times in the head with a metal object.

The clerk said a man and a woman entered the store together a few minutes before the assault. He said the man attacked him, pushed him into the restroom, took items and fled. It was unclear what the pair stole from the store.

On Sept. 18, another employee identified the female suspect from the surveillance camera as Huntington.

On Sept. 22, Tulpehocken Township police received information identifying the male suspect as Koller and their getaway driver as Baumgardner, who was subsequently arrested after voluntarily speaking with troopers at the Hamburg station.

Baumgardner told troopers that Koller and Huntington were at his house Sept. 12 and asked for a ride to Route 419 in Bethel. Huntington said she wanted to break into a house to get her belongings.

Baumgardner drove them to Route 419, about a mile from Midway Gift & Novelty, and parked in a lot. Huntington and Koller left, and after about 45 minutes ran back to Baumgardner’s truck, got in and told him to drive away.

Baumgardner said Koller told him that they had robbed the shop and hit the man behind the counter several times. Koller also told Baumgardner that he had worked in the store and knew there was always $1,500 in the safe at night.

Huntington was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $25,000 following arraignment before District Judge Dean R. Patton in Reading Central Court.

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