Suspect said to have used pellet gun in robbery

Benjamin Shannon

ROCHESTER - The man who is alleged to have held up a Rochester convenience store on Monday brandished a silver pellet gun as he threatened the clerk and told them to hand over money from the cash register, according to Rochester Police.

Benjamin Shannon, 34, of 2 Jackson St., Apt. 3, was arrested late Monday morning and charged with robbery and obstruction.

Shannon is said to have walked into George and Ed’s on North Main Street around 8 a.m. and demanded money from the clerk.

The obstruction charge was allegedly for refusing to comply with police requests for DNA swabs, permission for which was obtained through a search warrant, said Rochester Police Capt. Paul Toussaint on Tuesday.

Surveillance image from Monday's holdup.

Shannon was video arraigned on Tuesday and ordered held on $25,000 cash bail for the robbery and $2,500 personal recogniance on the obstruction charge.

If he is accepted into a program with Strafford County Community Corrections, his cash bail on the armed robbery charge will also be converted to personal recognizance.

However, there is no guarantee that will happen.

Shannon also faces a $500 suspended fine from a February 2012 guilty plea in a driving after revocation or suspension case.

According to former Judge Daniel Cappiello’s orders, the $500 fine would be reinstated if Shannon had any brushes with the law within two years, which he is currently a month shy of.

Shannon, who is said to be on detox from alcohol and drug dependency, was somewhat uncooperative with police upon his arrest, Toussaint said, but did not offer any resistance.

Evidence was gathered at the scene of the robbery and at Shannon’s home, but Toussaint would not comment on whether the cash he is alleged to have stolen was recovered.  

A Rochester Police K-9 unit was used to track the suspect from George and Ed’s to his home on Jackson Street. Several witnesses also helped police locate the suspect.

The Maple Street and St. Elizabeth Seton schools were both put on soft lockdown for a couple of hours while police searched the area prior to the arrest.