Ohio Amish Teen Robbed At Gunpoint; Search Is On For Dark Truck (UPDATE: Suspect Caught)
An Ohio Amish teenager was robbed at gunpoint yesterday evening, and deputies are now seeking the suspect. This happened in Jackson County in the area of Beaver. From the Scioto Post:
Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputies are actively investigating an armed robbery incident that occurred on Thursday evening, involving an Amish teenager traveling on Cove Road.
Dispatchers received a report just after 5:30 p.m. indicating that an Amish man had been robbed at gunpoint while traversing Cove Road. Upon arrival at the scene, deputies spoke with a father and his 16-year-old son, the victim of the robbery.
According to the victim’s account, he was traveling in his cart with his horse along Cove Road around 4:30 p.m. when a black truck, with tinted windows, pulled up beside him. The suspect, described as an unknown white male, brandished a black firearm and demanded money from the teenager. In compliance with the suspect’s demands, the victim surrendered his wallet containing cash. The suspect then fled the scene, traveling towards Beaver Pike along Cove Road.
Here’s the suspect and vehicle description:
The suspect is described as a white male, and the vehicle is believed to be a black, possibly a Dodge Ram 4-door truck, equipped with halo headlights and silver and black aftermarket wheels. However, the suspect’s physical description is limited due to the black mask worn during the incident.
If you have information, call the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office at 740-286-6464. They add that callers may remain anonymous.
Beaver, Ohio (Jackson County) Amish Community
I happened to visit this community in late 2021 and made a video on it (see below). I was near where this happened but one road over I believe.
As I share in the video, this community was a bit of a surprise to me at the time, as it is a well-established Renno Amish community. The Renno Amish are one of the three main groups of horse-and-buggy Amish in the Big Valley, PA community. Nice place, and I enjoyed stopping in at a small bulk foods store while there.
They’re usually not that smart
So if you happen to be in this area, keep an eye out for a dark truck with halo headlights and silver & black toned wheels. It seems like a recognizable enough vehicle, so that this person will hopefully be caught soon.
And especially since these types of robbers are usually not the most intelligent people, doing their crimes relatively close to where they live. Sounds like just another low-level criminal who may have gotten the idea that Amish are low-risk targets, preying on someone they think is an easy victim.
Update: Suspect Arrested
Following yesterday’s report of a drive-by robbery of an Amish teen in Jackson County, Ohio, a suspect is behind bars. Good work by law enforcement and an unnamed local citizen:
Authorities have successfully captured the suspect believed to be involved in the armed robbery of an Amish teen in Jackson County. The arrest came following intensive efforts by law enforcement, culminating in the apprehension of the suspect in Pike County late Friday night.
A crucial tip from a vigilant citizen led Jackson County Sheriff Tedd E. Frazier’s deputies to the Beaver area in Pike County, where they swiftly mobilized in collaboration with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office.
Through coordinated efforts, the suspect, identified as 30-year-old Jason Daniel Holloway of Beaver, was taken into custody. Furthermore, investigators located the suspect’s truck during the course of their inquiry in West Portsmouth.
The alleged incident unfolded on Thursday, April 11, when Holloway reportedly accosted a 16-year-old Amish teen on Cove Road, brandishing a firearm as the teen traveled with his horse and cart. Demanding the victim’s wallet, Holloway subsequently fled the scene.
As expected, the guy was quickly caught.
Holloway faces a single county of robbery, with further possible charges pending. If he actually did it, as authorities believe, he potentially ruined his life for what was probably pocket change.
There are still people out there who believe the Amish are easy marks. Maybe it’s the craving for drugs, or desperation, or just bad character that leads them down the dark path to making dumb decisions like these. I don’t know.
For any would-be robbers of the Amish out there, this is the public service announcement you need to read.
Amish Teen Robbed
Hi Erik,
Thank you for the story of the young Amish teen robbed
at gun-point. It breaks my heart knowing this happened
and that an Englischer is the culprit. He gives the rest of
us a bad name. And people wonder why many Amish prefer
to keep to themselves whenever possible. One question:
Do you happen to know if the Amish/Mennonite/Hutterite
communities are considered a “protected people”? And by
that I mean simply that in some places in America, there are
some folks who cannot fend for themselves (Autistic, the
physically handicapped, elderly, etc.) and if they become crime
victims, the sentences meted out to the guilty parties are often
more severe. SHAME on the man who did this. I pray he is found
and soon so he cannot do this again. I rejoice that the Amish
teen is okay. Also, thanks much for the video. I’ll have to put
this community on my bucket list. : ) Have a gr8 day everybody.
KD I’ve never heard of the Amish or those groups having that sort of status. Do you mean something like a hate crime?
And thanks, glad you liked the vid, I enjoyed revisiting it myself. Nice part of the country.
Amish Teen Robbed
Hi again Erik,
Yes, something like a hate crime. As I said earlier, some people
in America are (better?) protected by law due to their unique status
as people who (for example) might not be able to protect themselves
from those who wish to harm/take advantage of them. We know the
Amish are pacifists who do not take up arms/go to war as part of their
religious beliefs. So the man who robbed the teen must have known the
Amish teen would (most likely) be unarmed.
Not protected
The Amish are not a protected group as being Amish is a choice. It would be insulting for them to be so.
Amish teen robbed
This is infuriating. I hope they catch the guy quickly but not sure what will happen if the family doesn’t file charges?
Amish Robbery
This just another example of our society going downhill we have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. The whole society is going downhill. There are reports in the Detroit Mi area of drive by shootings and road rage for minor things like you are taking my parking spot or you looked at me wrong or you looked at my girlfriend the wrong way. We are being influenced by the music videos and television shows and movies.