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2 people charged after a case of Twisted Tea was stolen from a Great Falls grocery store

Posted at 6:20 PM, Oct 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-09 23:38:39-04
Antonio Lamere and Lacey Hawley
Antonio Lamere and Lacey Hawley

Antonio Martin Lee Lamere and Lacey Rae Hawley face criminal charges after they allegedly robbed a grocery store in Great Falls on Monday evening.

Court documents state Lamere and Hawley went into the Albertsons grocery on the northwest side of town and went into the alcohol cooler and grabbed a case of Twisted Tea valued at $18.99.

They then left the store without paying for the case, which was carried by Lamere.

When they reached their their vehicle, Lamere turned around, set down the Twisted Tea, and “became confrontational” with a store employee who had followed them out of the store.

The employee tried to grab the case of Twisted Tea from under Hawley’s arm, but Lamere punched him on the left side of his face and the back of the head, according to the charging documents.

When the employee turned to get away, Lamere grabbed an unopened Twisted Tea can and threw it at the employee and struck him in the back, which resulted in a bruise.

Lamere and Hawley then left the scene in a Honda Accent.

A short time later, a police officer saw the vehicle near 3rd Street North and 2nd Avenue North and conducted a traffic stop.

During the stop, the driver of the vehicle told the officer that the robbery suspects were Lamere and Hawley, and that she had dropped them of at a residence near Central Avenue West.

The officer drove to the residence and saw Lamere standing in a bedroom in a corner of the residence. The officer knocked on the window, announced his presence, and told Lamere to walk to the front door, according to court documents.

All occupants of the residence were told several times to come out and they refused. About 24 minutes later, Lamere finally came outside.

Court documents state the officer could smell “the odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath and Lamere admitted to consuming three beers.”

Hawley was then found inside the residence after Lamere was detained.

Lamere, 20 years old, has been charged with felony robbery and two misdemeanors for obstructing a peace officer or other public servant, and possession of or unlawful attempt to purchase an intoxicating substance.

Hawley, 30 years old, has been charged with felony robbery and misdemeanor obstructing a peace officer.

The State requested that bond be set for each defendant at $4,000.

There are no references in the court documents to a criminal history for either one.