Man jailed in attempt to rob Redner's Quick Shoppe

SPRING TWP., Pa. - A Berks County man is behind bars, accused of trying to rob a convenience store near his home.

Spring Township police said they responded to the Redner's Quick Shoppe at 2320 Penn Avenue around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, after a 911 call from the store's clerk reporting a robbery in progress.

Officers said they arrived to find the suspect, Jose Antonio Ortiz, 26, standing in front of the store's service window.

The clerk told police that Ortiz approached the window and told her to let him inside the store. She refused, prompting Ortiz to point his hand at her as if he had a gun, police said.

Ortiz then demanded all the money from the cash register, threatening to shoot the employee if she didn't comply, according to court documents.

The clerk ran to the rear of the store, where she called 911.

Ortiz, who lives about two blocks from the store, was charged with robbery, terroristic threats, and disorderly conduct. He was committed to the Berks County Jail on $50,000 bail.