West Chester serial robbery suspect arrested after several-day search

Credit: Butler County Jail

Credit: Butler County Jail

A 20-year-old man wanted in a series of armed robberies late last month in West Chester Twp. has been arrested.

Corey Hilliard Bates, who had a felony arrest warrant with a nationwide pickup, was taken into custody Thursday night in Colerain Twp., according to officials.

“Bates is armed and dangerous and is believed to be carrying a black handgun. Anyone who comes into contact with Corey Bates should use extreme caution and contact 911,” police said in a Wednesday evening update.

Officials said earlier this week that Bates was believed to be traveling in an unknown vehicle with Thomas Walters, 23, who stands 5 feet, 10 inches and weighs 120 pounds, and that they possibly were headed down Interstate 75 toward Kentucky or Tennessee. It is not clear whether Bates was with Walters when he was captured.

Credit: West Chester Police Department

Credit: West Chester Police Department

“Bates is armed and dangerous and is believed to be carrying a black handgun. Anyone who comes into contact with Corey Bates should use extreme caution and contact 911,” police said in a Wednesday evening update.

Bates is connected to four robberies, one on July 28 and three on July 30 at gas stations in West Chester Twp., police said.

The first robbery happened at at 5:50 p.m. July 28 in the Walmart parking lot at 8288 Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Bates took a 69-year-old West Chester Twp. woman’s purse containing multiple credit cards and her drivers license, according to a police incident report.

The first of three robberies on July 30 happened around 5:45 p.m. in a Meijer parking lot at 7390 Tylersville Road. Bates struck and possibly injured a 59-year-old Mason woman when he stole a purse containing multiple credit cards and her cellphone, the report stated.

The second July 30 robbery was around 11:30 p.m. at a Marathon station at 8260 Princeton-Glendale Road. Bates is accused of showing a handgun when he stole money and a cash register drawer, according to a robbery report.

The final July 30 robbery happened about 15 minutes later at a Speedway gas station at 9738 Princeton-Glendale Road. In this instance. The West Chester Twp. police report indicates another man was involved, with one of them showing a handgun, during the robbery of a 23-year-old Fairfield woman.

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