Crime & Safety

Police: New Port Richey Man Arrested for Armed Robbery

Darrel Mitchell Carpenter threatened a 52-year-old with a knife and confessed tio the crime, police say.

A New Port Richey man was arrested Sunday night after he was accused of snatching a 52-year-old woman's purse and threatening her with a knife outside of the Sweetbay Supermarket at 6400 Massachusetts Avenue, police say.

Darrel Mitchell Carpenter, 21, was arrested about a block away from the supermarket and later confessed to the crime, the New Port Richey Police Department sai.

The woman was exiting the supermarket Sunday, police said in a media alert, when Carpenter approached her with a red bandana over his face.

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The woman told police that Carpenter, of 6402 Grady Ave # 6 in New Port Richey, revealed a butcher knife and said: Give me your purse or I will stick you.

He grabbed the purse, but the woman held on to it and pulled back. An employee of Sweetbay, whose name was withheld by police because he is under 18, ran to help. Carpenter released the purse and fled.

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After he was arrested, Carpenter told police that he had committed the crime to feed his drug habit, police said. He was charged with armed robbery.


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