Two Schofield Barracks soldiers, one of whom was hit on the head by a store owner, were caught on surveillance tape robbing a Wahiawa market at gunpoint Sunday night, according to court documents.
Pvts. Caleb Edie and Brandon Harter, both 20, were indicted Thursday by an Oahu grand jury charging each with first-degree robbery.
Both are accused of robbing the New California Market at 9:30 p.m. Sunday and are being held at Oahu Community Correctional Center unable to post bail of $50,000.
Harter was arrested at 10:22 p.m. Sunday at 71 Kukui St. — about 500 feet from the market at 404 California Ave., according to a police affidavit filed Wednesday in Honolulu District Court.
Edie was arrested two days later at Schofield Barracks after he was identified by Harter’s girlfriend, who said she saw him on a surveillance video of the robbery that was shown on television news Monday night, the affidavit said.
Harter’s girlfriend told police that Edie had sent her photos with pictures of his head with staples in it Monday afternoon, according to the affidavit. She said Edie told her that the six staples went all the way to his skull and that he had a concussion.
The girlfriend also said that in the surveillance video she saw Edie being hit on the head with a pole during the robbery, the affidavit said.
Chun Hui Shi, owner of the Wahiawa market, told police that two men entered his store at 9:26 p.m. Sunday wearing hoodie-type jackets and baseball caps, according to the affidavit.
Harter walked to a cooler and got a Brisk iced tea beverage and after paying for it allegedly brandished a black handgun, the affidavit said.
Harter placed the gun on the counter, according to the affidavit, pointed it at the store owner and said, “Give me all the money.”
At about the same time, market owner Shi said, Edie took a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whisky, valued at $43.99, and ran out of the market, the affidavit said.
A responding police officer stopped Harter because he matched the description of one of the suspects, and saw a 1-liter bottle of Brisk iced tea on the front seat of Harter’s car, according to the affidavit. The beverage appeared to be still cold because there was condensation on the bottle, the affidavit said.