'I had a bad year' Arnold man tells judge after pleading guilty to gas station robbery
An Arnold man faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Monday to the robbery of a New Kensington gas station.
Chad William Fitzgerald, 34, was charged last year in connection with an Aug. 14, 2024, heist at the Sunoco gas station on Tarentum Bridge Road at Caldwell Avenue, where police said he threatened staff with a knife and stole $37 in cash and two packs of cigarettes.
According to court records, police received an anonymous tip of Fitzgerald’s identity after surveillance photos of the robbery were released to the public. Fitzgerald was spotted hours later and taken into custody in New Kensington.
Police initially described Fitzgerald as homeless.
“I had a bad year,” Fitzgerald told the judge before being cautioned by his lawyer to remain silent during the guilty plea hearing.
Fitzgerald has been in jail since his arrest in lieu of a $50,000 bond.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears said he will conduct a sentencing hearing for Fitzgerald in about three months.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
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