Police first said that an incident that happened over the weekend at the Galleria Mall in Johnstown outside the Italian Oven was a robbery. They told us Wednesday that they have since discovered that this was a planned meeting and a drug deal gone wrong.
Police say Tiffany Mills, who is not from Johnstown, but Mount Union, was arrested Tuesday in connection to this incident.
Police tell us that they were originally told that a woman, which is Mills, and an unknown man had jumped into a car and struggled with the driver for her purse and other belongings.
Through the investigation police found out it was a drug deal gone wrong or turned into a robbery.
They say heroin and marijuana were recovered.
The car the two suspects drove off in was a burgundy four-door sedan. It did not belong to Mills, according to police.
Police say they are still investigating to see if the alleged victim will be facing any charges.
Detective Thomas Keirn says they also have not yet identified the man involved in this incident, “The victim actually knew the person that got in the front with her. So we started working on that from the very beginning and then when we apprehended Mills last evening that’s when we definitely confirmed that this was a drug transaction.”
Police want to stress the mall is a safe place to go.
If you have any information that may help the investigation, call Richland Township Police.