NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. -- An attempted robbery that started at a home in the town of Cambria and ended in Niagara Falls kept Niagara County Sheriff's Office investigators busy well into the night Thursday as they worked to figure out what happened and why.
"About 10:30 in the morning, we got a 911 call from a female who was concerned for the welfare of her father," said Niagara County Sheriff James Voutour. "Allegedly, she reported to us some unknown person had put a gun to his head."
Following an investigation, deputies said that person is Robert Cox, 25, of Niagara Falls, who is charged with attempted robbery and menacing.
Cox allegedly forced the victim into a vehicle, but the sheriff said it wasn't random, as Voutour said Cox and the victim know each other.
"Looks like it was probably some type of a debt for drugs. people generally don't admit that to law enforcement but generally we think that's what it was, that possibly the victim owed some money to these people that came to his house," said Voutour.
Together, Cox and the victim drove to the First Niagara Bank branch on Main Street in Niagara Falls, where Cox was trying to get the victim to withdraw money from his personal account.
"It had nothing to do with a bank robbery. It really had nothing to do with First Niagara Bank, other than the fact that the victim in this case had an account there and the suspects knew that," said Voutour.
Police took both the suspect and victim into custody at the bank, and a firearm was retrieved outside of the Cambria home.
Voutour says conflicting stories from witnesses and the victim have made this investigation difficult to piece together, but the incident surrounding drug money doesn't surprise him.
"I would say in Western New York, it probably happens on a daily basis but very rarely is it reported," said Voutour.
Voutour says investigators believe there could be more charges and more people involved. Anyone with information should contact the Sheriff's Office at (716) 438-3393.