Police: Blackwood Woman Attempted to Rob Dry-Cleaning Store with Fake Gun

A 40-year-old woman attempted to rob a Black Horse Pike dry-cleaning store with a fake gun Thursday morning, but the victim was able to detain her until police arrived to take her into custody.

Gloucester Township Police were dispatched to Paree Cleaners, located at 1119 N. Black Horse Pike, in the township's Blackwood section, at 9:18 a.m. Thursday on a report of an armed robbery there. While on their way to the business, police were advised a store employee had detained the robbery suspect.

Investigation revealed Dorothy R. Engeland, of Garden Avenue, Blackwood, entered the store brandishing the fake gun, walked behind the counter, and demanded money from the clerk, according to Lt. Jason Gittens.

The clerk, whom police did not identify, quickly grabbed the woman's hands and pushed her outside of the store, calling out for help. A brief struggle ensued between Engeland and the clerk before police arrived to take the Blackwood woman into custody.

Police recovered an imitation plastic firearm resembling a Colt. 45 caliber semi-automatic firearm from the sidewalk in front of the dry-cleaning store. Engeland was found to be in possession of drug paraphernalia, Gittens said.

The clerk, who was not injured during the incident, did not wish to comment to Patch Thursday afternoon. He did, however, indicate nothing like Thursday morning's incident had happened in his six years at the dry-cleaning and laundromat business.

Engeland has been charged with first-degree armed robbery and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon, as well as a disorderly-persons charge for possession of drug paraphernalia. She was lodged in Camden County Jail on $150,000 bail.