Clairton man arrested after allegedly trying to rob bank to get money for new sports car
CLAIRTON, PA (KDKA) — A Clairton man is behind bars after attempting to rob a bank to get money for a new car, police said.
According to a criminal complaint, Daniel Bizzelle went to First Commonwealth Bank in West Mifflin on Wednesday and told bank tellers he was a "mob boss" and "This is a stick up."
Police said Bizzelle asked for $50,000 to be put on his Chime card and if they couldn't give him that much, he would take $10,000.
Prior to the attempted robbery, workers at Century III Chevrolet told KDKA-TV that Bizzelle was at the dealership looking at a white Chevy Camaro.
"He told me he was here to purchase a car, specifically a sports car," a worker who did not want to be identified said.
The worker said Bizzelle originally wanted to finance a car, but then he decided to pay in cash with his Chime card. The worker then told Bizzelle how much cash he needed before he apparently left to go to the bank.
Workers said Bizzelle returned to the dealership about 30 minutes later.
"He kept mumbling that he's leaving with a car today. 'I don't care if you guys have to call the police,' he said. He was mumbling things like where are my keys? And he was even asking other customers in the showroom for keys or to cosign," the worker said.
The employee told KDKA-TV that Bizzelle appeared to be under the influence and had what appeared to be a blunt hanging from his mouth. Police then arrested Bizzelle.
"Once the police arrived in the way they did, kind of aggressively, I knew something was up because it wasn't like they were going to escort him out. … So it was a wild situation for sure," the Chevy employee said.
Bizzelle was charged with robbery, public drunkenness and possession. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 6.
This is not the first time Bizzelle has been in trouble with the law. In 2017, he was a suspect in the shooting death of 23-year Samantha Klavora. According to the Post-Gazette, he was later acquitted after a judge ruled lack of evidence in the case.
In 2019, Bizzelle was arrested for carrying a firearm without a license and recklessly endangering another person. In 2020, he was arrested for simple assault. In 2022, he was arrested for disorderly conduct.
