CLEARFIELD – Jurors deliberated for approximately two hours today before finding a Clearfield man guilty of robbing Domino’s Pizza in April. Clearfield County President Judge Fredric Ammerman presided over the case.
William Lee Rauch, 35, of Clearfield was found guilty of robbery/threat of serious bodily injury; robbery/threat of immediate bodily injury; terroristic threats; simple assault; and theft by unlawful taking. The charges stemmed from an armed robbery that occurred April 4 at Domino’s Pizza in Clearfield Borough.
Jurors found that Rauch was in possession of and used a deadly weapon while committing the crimes. Jurors also found that Rauch had taken more than $50 worth of property from Domino’s Pizza during the robbery. After the verdict, defense attorney Curtis Irwin requested the jury be polled; each juror indicated they agreed with the verdict.
During their deliberations, jurors had one question at 10:55 a.m. Jurors had requested a written definition of both robbery charges. However, Ammerman explained that wasn’t permitted and stated both robbery definitions, which was satisfactory to jurors. Jurors returned with their verdict at approximately 12 p.m.
Rauch will likely be sentenced to seven to 20 years of incarceration, said Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. He said the anticipated sentence factored an enhancement since jurors found Rauch was in possession of a deadly weapon.
According to previous testimony, Rauch entered Domino’s Pizza on April 4. He was wearing a gray-colored hooded sweatshirt and a roughly cut homemade mask, jeans and dark-colored shoes. Initially, store employees thought it was a hoax until Rauch walked around the counter, brandished a knife and demanded money.
Rauch took five- and one-dollar bills from the cash drawer and then fled toward the rear of Domino’s Pizza in the direction of Knickerbocker Villa. Minutes later Rauch was stopped by police on Leavy Avenue and found in possession of a large amount of paper currency and wearing jeans with an emblem on a rear pocket that matched the physical description given by Domino’s employees.
Police later found a gray-hooded sweatshirt, a homemade mask and a knife stuck in the ground in the area of Bud’s Electric. Rauch’s DNA was found to be a major component on the inside of the homemade mask, and he couldn’t be excluded as a DNA contributor on the knife.
Shaw said Rauch’s trial went as anticipated and he was very proud of the Clearfield Borough and Lawrence Township police departments. Both departments, he said, collaborated in a team effort on the night of the robbery and apprehended the robber within minutes.
“It speaks volumes of their efforts,” he said. Shaw was also proud of the jury’s verdict and its thorough consideration of the law. “I’d rather the jury take its time, consider the law and render a fair decision, which is what happened in this case.”