Coventry Mall Kohl’s Employee Assaults News Photographer, Police Say

Written by Community Editor Nicole Foulke

A woman employed as a loss prevention officer at the Coventry Mall Kohl’s store in North Coventry was charged with assault and robbery amongst other crimes after allegedly assaulting a local news photographer, according to North Coventry police.

The woman, Sarah Roller of Collegeville, had been helping police and Boscov’s employees on Aug. 15 a little after 2 p.m. as they sought a robbery suspect who had allegedly stolen from the nearby Boscov’s, according to a press release.

According to police, while Roller was looking for the suspect outside she saw a man in his vehicle video-recording the activities. Police said that she thought she was being recorded without consent and, as she struggled with the man to take his camera, his eye was injured. The man later received attention for shoulder and neck pain, as well. 

Chief Robert A. Schurr of the North Coventry police department saw and diffused the incident.

Roller has been charged with assault, robbery, harassment, and criminal mischief, according to court documents. She has posted her bail and is not in prison. Her preliminary hearing is on Sept. 19 in District Court 15-3-01 with Magisterial District Judge James V. Deangelo. 

The search stemmed from an allegation that Trenton Lee Clifford, a 19-year-old from Pottstown, worked with a 17-year old accomplice to take Boscov’s merchandise, according to The Mercury.

The younger person cooperated with the store loss prevention officers that stopped them but Clifford ran, said police. Clifford had been a popular wrestler at Pottstown High School.