2 arrested after Birdies clerk allegedly assaulted, store robbed

ELYRIA — Police arrested a man and a woman Sunday afternoon after they allegedly committed a strong-arm robbery, assaulting a clerk and making off from a Cleveland Street boutique with multiple clothing items before an officer stopped their getaway car.Anthony Collins, 26, of the 800 block of Kenilworth Avenue in Sheffield Lake, and Catelynne Sagges, 24, of the 2700 block of West 38th Street in Lorain, were arrested, according to Elyria police. They were charged with one count each of robbery, both second-degree felonies, and Sagges also with possession of drug paraphernalia, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.On Sunday afternoon, a cashier at Birdies, 611½ Cleveland St., reported a theft by suspects who fled in a black Ford Focus. An officer located the suspect vehicle stopped at a red light on state Route 57 in the southbound turn lane at Furnace Street.The officer blocked the vehicle in, and during the traffic stop identified the driver and owner as Collins and Sagges as the passenger and "known drug offender," according to a police report.Sagges allegedly gave the officer a fake name and date of birth, "but was known by sight" to the officer and also had multiple warrants for her arrest, according to his report.The car was "full of tie-dye T-shirts, still on hangers, with price tags attached." Those items matched the description of the items reported stolen from Birdie's, according to the police report.After Collins and Sagges were handcuffed and backup arrived, officers also found a pink container of pepper spray, fleece throw blankets, a canvas hoodie, multiple clothing items with their tags and anti-theft devices still attached, seven used hypodermic needles, a burnt spoon, a crack stem and other alleged drug paraphernalia, according to Elyria police.The incident happened at approximately 3 p.m. Sunday when the duo entered the store and walked around for 30 minutes as an employee finished up on paperwork, she told police. After selecting clothing, Collins and Sagges made their way to the counter but then tried to flee out the door without paying.The cashier told the two to stop and grabbed several blankets Collins was holding, and struggled with him. Collins "actively used force by pulling on the blankets in an attempt to hold onto" them but the cashier was able to yank two of them out of his arms, according to the police report.Collins and Sagges then ran for their car. As the cashier confronted Sagges, Sagges allegedly punched her in the face, knocking off her glasses. They then fled in Collins' car, according to the police report.Police noted in their reports a red mark on the cashier's face where she said she was punched. The total value of the stolen items was estimated at $697, according to Elyria police.Collins was being held in Lorain County Jail on $15,000 bond following his initial appearance Monday in Elyria Municipal Court. His next scheduled court appearance is Feb. 11, according to Lorain County Sheriff's Office booking records.Sagges also was being held on bond in Lorain County Jail, with her next court appearance scheduled this morning. She has multiple prior arrests for identity theft, theft and falsification charges, among others according to Lorain County Sheriff's Office records.Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or do'brien@chroniclet.com. Follow him at @daveobrienCT on Twitter.