High Schoolers Accused of CVS Robbery Waive Preliminary Hearing

Two teenagers charged as adults in connection with the robbery of the CVS in Bristol Township’s Croydon section waived their preliminary hearings and will head to Doylestown for trial.

Anthony Purnell ,16, of Lansdale, and DeSean Williams, 15, of Croydon, waived charges of robbery, simple assault, reckless endangerment,  possession of an instrument of crime and conspiracy Wednesday morning before District Judge Frank Peranteau Sr.

The two – both students of North Penn High School in Landsdale – are accused of planning the armed holdup of the CVS in the 800 block of Bristol Pike in Croydon for days before the late June crime. Williams stole his mother’s .22-caliber handgun and gave his father’s replica handgun to Purnell prior to the robbery, police said.

The teens went into the store with the guns, pointed them at workers and demanded cash, police allege. One of the teens went behind the counter, forced an employee to open the cash register and took cash, according to court papers.

Police said in court documents that Williams pointed his handgun at a customer and ordered her to move as they fled the store.

The two got away with about $300 in cash and split it after the robbery, court papers say.

A store employee’s recollection of the two being in the store before the robbery and memory of one of the boy’s “North Penn” backpack helped detectives crack the case, police said.

Store surveillance photos of the two suspects were sent to staff at North Penn High School in the June. There, schools employees were able to identify the two, police said.

Both teens were arrested within weeks of the robbery.

Detectives served a search warrant at the Nancy Drive, Croydon home of Williams’ father following the crime. Police said they recovered the handgun, which was loaded with six bullets, and the clothing worn by the two suspects during the robbery. The blue “North Penn” backpack was also recovered, authorities said.

Home surveillance video from a Nancy Drive neighbor was checked from the night of the robbery. The video allegedly showed to the two suspects leaving Williams’ house and walking toward the CVS shortly before the robbery. Shortly after, the two were spotted walking back to the house, court papers say.

Police said they are not how Williams attended North Penn High School while residing in Croydon.

The two boys remain in county jail in lieu of 10 percent of $150,000 bail.

LevittownNow.com Publisher/Editor Jeff Bohen contributed to this report.