A preliminary hearing for a rural Tyrone man charged with several robberies was continued last week and is now scheduled for Wednesday.
Magisterial Judge Fred Miller said the hearing for 37-year-old Robert E. Miller will be held at 8:30 a.m.
Suspect Miller was arraigned before the judge earlier this month after Blair County Judge Thomas Peoples, Jr. referred all the cases against him to Judge Miller after a court ruling.
The arraignment before Judge Miller covered eight separate cases including the robberies and an auto theft case. Suspect Miller had previously been arraigned in two other cases, a robbery in Duncansville and a Nov. 13 police pursuit that led to his capture. Those cases were also consolidated before Judge Miller.
Miller was charged in connection with three robberies in Tyrone. The first happened on October 28 at the Choice Store on 10th Street. Miller also stands accused of robberies at the Uni-Mart on Adams Avenue on Nov. 11 and a Nov. 12 robbery at the Kwik Fill on Washington Avenue. Tyrone Police also investigated another robbery at the Uni-Mart on Nov. 13. Police have not made an arrest in that case as of yesterday.
Miller was charged in connection with three robberies and an attempted robbery in Altoona. Those crimes happened between Oct. 23 and the morning of Nov. 13.
State police also filed charges against Miller stemming from the theft of an automobile from Shauf’s Used Car Sales on old Route 220, just south of State Route 865 in Antis Township. The van was taken sometime between 8 p.m. on Nov. 12 and 1:30 a.m. on Nov. 13.
Authorities allege that Miller used the van in the commission of some of the robberies and was driving the van when police pursued him. He eventually crashed the van and Altoona police pursued Miller on foot before he was captured in the early afternoon hours of Nov. 13.
Miller was arrested and taken to Blair County Prison.
The suspect was advised at his arraignment before Judge Miller of his options for counsel. He indicated he wanted to have a public defender appointed for him. Judge Miller advised he could still seek private counsel even after requesting a public defender. Last week Judge Miller said a public defender had been appointed. The judge set bail in varying amounts in the eight cases that were detailed in the Nov. 16 arraignment. He explained to the suspect that the other two cases were also being transferred to him. The district judges who conducted those arraignments had already set bail in those cases.
After his arraignment, Miller was transported back to Blair County Prison.
