Arrests in gas station break-in; Suspect's family owns business.

Byline: Kim Ring

LEICESTER - A Shrewsbury man allegedly broke into his family's gas station early yesterday morning to steal money and cigarettes to help pay for his cocaine and heroin addictions, according to court documents.

Robert I. Smith III, 35, of 15 Beaver Drive, Shrewsbury, was apprehended at gunpoint following a foot chase, after Officer Michael P. Fontaine saw him leaping over the counter in the Valero gas station on Route 9 carrying a trash bag just before 2 a.m., police said.

Officer Fontaine became suspicious when he saw a car in the lot of the station, owned by the Worcester-based C.K. Smith Co. Inc., as he was on patrol. He also saw a man on the side of the building, then saw a masked man inside the station where a window was smashed.

The first man ran off and was apprehended by officers who arrived to back up Officer Fontaine. The masked man left the store with Officer Fontaine in pursuit and was captured a short distance away.

Police identified the second suspect as Stephen J. Corson, 27, of 26 Central Ave., Everett.

According to a police report, both men admitted that they are addicts. Mr. Smith allegedly told police he knew $100 would be in the cash drawer at the station, which is owned by his family, and that he also planned to take cigarettes.

Both men were arraigned yesterday in Western Worcester District Court in East Brookfield. They were charged with breaking and entering in the nighttime to commit a felony, larceny of property valued at more than $250, vandalism, possession of a burglary tools, and other charges.

Mr. Smith was released on $10,000 bail. Mr. Corson was held because he was already on bail from another court for similar charges. The bail in that case was revoked. Both men are due back in court for pretrial hearings Aug. 24.

The police report said a similar break-in took place at another C.K. Smith-owned building in Northboro the same night. It was unclear whether the two incidents are related.

Leicester Detective Timothy Fontaine, Sgt. Paul Doray and Officer Ronald Tarentino assisted in the case.