Police: Couple planned heist to get apartment
By PAT GROSSMITH
Union Leader Staff
MANCHESTER – A couple's plan to rob a store to fund a new apartment was thwarted when the male suspect was disarmed by the store owner, his friend and several bounty hunters, according to court records.
Their plans to make $600 from selling two shotguns she bought for $400 using her Social Security, ended as well when police arrested them and confiscated the guns.
Patrick Shiner, 22, of 44 Brown Road, Deerfield, and his girlfriend, Dorothy Collins, 33, address unknown, were arraigned yesterday in Manchester District Court.
Shiner entered no plea to armed robbery and pleaded innocent to changing marks on a firearm. He told police he removed the serial number from the shotgun with a large grilling fork.
Collins entered no plea to criminal liability to armed robbery and pleaded innocent to being a felon in possession of a firearm. She is charged with driving Shiner to the Orange Street Market knowing he was going to rob it.
Police recovered a second 12-gauge shotgun under a bed in a motel room at the Manchester Inn, 140 Queen City Ave., where they arrested Collins.
Each is being held on $75,000 cash or surety bail.
Probable cause hearings are Feb. 16 and their trials are March 30.
Shiner is charged with trying to rob the Orange Street Market, 132 Orange St., about 3:20 p.m. Friday.
Shiner, his face concealed by a white bandanna, entered the store allegedly armed with the loaded shotgun.
He approached co-owner Zohza Kenzou, 51, who was in the rear of the store, pointed the shotgun at her and demanded money, according to court records.
Kenzou told the robber he could have the money but it was in the register at the front of the store. Shiner, they said, walked backward toward the register, still holding the shotgun at Kenzou's chest
He never noticed Maati Kenzou, Kenzou's husband, entering the store behind him. Maati Kenzou knocked the shotgun out of Shiner's hands and tackled him to the ground.
As they were struggling, Maati's friend, Khalid Mohamed, arrived and helped to detain Shiner.
Within minutes of a 911 call, Capt. James Winn and Detective Ryan A. Grant arrived at the store to find Maati, Mohamed and several bail enforcement agents — bounty hunters — restraining Shiner. The bounty hunters were in the area looking for someone, saw the commotion and went to the store owner's aid.
Collins was arrested about 8 o'clock that night at the Manchester Inn.
She told detectives the other shotgun was under the bed. The serial number had been removed from it as well.
Collins said she and Shiner were virtually homeless and planned to use the proceeds from the robbery to finance a new apartment.
She drove Shiner to the store and waited while he went inside to rob it. Investigators said when he did not come out in five to ten minutes, Collins assumed something had gone wrong and left.
Collins told police a friend bought the shotguns for her because she is a felon and cannot possess them, police said.
She was previously convicted in federal court of conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and served nine months in federal prison.
_________________ Lance Allen Wilkinson
Recoveries by L.A.W.
Serving since 1984
“What is sought is found... what is overlooked escapes” (Oedipus Rex)
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