TYRONE, Pa. (WTAJ) — An Altoona man, who bears a striking resemblance to Harry Styles, is in jail on charges he took part in an armed robbery in Tyrone last month where marijuana and cash were stolen.
Jason Sanderlin, 21, is accused of brandishing an automatic rifle and ordering three people to get on the ground after kicking down the door of an apartment on the 300 block of W. 11th Street in Tyrone early on the morning of January 21, according to charges filed by state police.
Sanderlin allegedly hit a woman over the head with the gun and grabbed her breasts when she fought back as he tried to bind her with zip ties.
The woman told troopers the robber was about her height, or slightly taller, and they struggled over the gun on the floor after she grabbed at it to defend herself. The woman is 5’ 3” tall and Sanderlin is listed as 5’4” tall in court records.
Sanderlin’s longtime girlfriend allegedly identified the robber with the rifle as Sanderlin after watching surveillance footage. The victim supplied the video; a man state police said was robbed of ¼ pound of pot and $400 in cash after they showed up at the apartment a few days after the robbery.
State police allege Sanderlin posted a Snapchat video immediately after the robbery showing off the marijuana and the alleged victim said he was contacted by a friend who told him Sanderlin was selling marijuana. The bulk marijuana in the video looked a lot like the marijuana stolen from him, he told state police.
Sanderlin is also implicated in helping his girlfriend – Emily Eirhart – rob a woman near Gospel Hill in late October. Eirhart was arrested last week on robbery and related charges filed by Altoona police. Sanderlin faces charges that include robbery and aggravated assault charges in that case as well.
State police have charged Sanderlin with felony counts of robbery, conspiracy, aggravated assault, and criminal trespass along with misdemeanor counts that include false imprisonment, indecent assault, and terroristic threats.
State police did not indicate whether Sanderlin’s accomplice had been identifed.
Magisterial District Judge Andrew Blattenberger set bail for Sanderlin on the Tyrone robbery case at $200,000 cash. Bail on the Altoona robbery case is $50,000 cash.
