DUBOIS – An Ohio woman is accused of threatening to blow up a Sheetz store and threatening the employees over a malfunctioning gas pump.
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed with District Judge Patrick Ford’s office April 7, Laurie Abbas, 41, 8003 Lakeshore Blvd., Mentor, Ohio, is charged by the DuBois City police with terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct.
According to the affidavit, on April 7, police were called to the Sheetz Store on East DuBois Avenue for a woman threatening to blow up the store and kill the employees.
The caller told police that the woman had left the store, but came back in and began to shout racial slurs at one of the employees and was continuing to make threats about killing people in the store.
When police arrived, they found the store manager outside, near one of the gas pumps with the woman, later identified as Abbas.
When police asked what was going on, Abbas allegedly told police that she “got ripped off on gas.” As police were talking to Abbas, she began to yell and swear at the officers, allegedly saying if the officers came near her, she would kill them.
Abbas also continued to yell and swear about the employees in the store. The officers were able to calm Abbas down so she could continue to speak to police.
The officers were then approached by a witness outside the store. The witness said he was inside the store when Abbas started swearing and yelling.
The witness said Abbas allegedly started yelling very loudly that she was going to “kill some people in the store and blow the place up.” The witness also said that Abbas started using racial slurs toward one of the employees and threatened to kill the employee.
The officers then spoke to the store manager. The manager said Abbas came into the store and started yelling about the gas pump not working.
The manager said Abbas got upset with one of the employees and began to yell and swear at her.
Abbas then started yelling, swearing, and using racial slurs at another employee. Abbas allegedly threatened to kill the employee and told the manager “tell her that she is as good as dead.”
The officers interviewed one of the employees who said Abbas was upset and yelling at one of the other staff members.
When the employee attempted to intervene, Abbas allegedly began yelling and swearing at the employee and threatened to kill her. The employee said Abbas used racial slurs toward her and allegedly threatened to kill the employee and blow up the store.
When officers informed Abbas that she was going to be placed under arrest, Abbas allegedly started to yell at the officers and said she was upset about the gas and everything that was going on.
Abbas said she got upset with the store for not giving her the gas. She allegedly made a comment about being angry with one of the employees for “smiling at her as she was yelling at her.” Abbas allegedly told police that she was “going to jump over the counter and take her.”
The officers also noted that at that point in the morning, there were a lot of people in the store and Abbas was creating a serious public inconvenience.