Gas station cashier won't be charged
By Tom Spalding
tom.spalding@indystar.com
December 6, 2004
Marion County prosecutors have dropped a charge against a cashier at a Northeastside gas station who was arrested last week after refusing to let a robbery victim call 911.
Said Azzawi, 36, an employee at the Citgo at 5060 E. 38th St., was jailed for about 10 hours between Thursday and Friday on a preliminary charge of interfering with the reporting of a crime, a misdemeanor. He faced a year in Marion County Jail if convicted.
But prosecutors believed Azzawi didn't violate the specific law, said spokesman Roger Rayl.
Azzawi denied a Papa John's pizza deliveryman who went to the gas station asking to use the store phone to call 911. The pizzaman had just been robbed.
Azzawi said he wanted to help but was reluctant because of past experience. He said he has been victimized by patrons who lie about why they want to use the store phone, instead of the two public pay telephones in the parking lot. When Marion County sheriff's deputies found out about Azzawi's action, though, they went to the Citgo and arrested Azzawi.
Azzawi said today he is glad the charge was dropped. He continues to work the roughly $7-an-hour job at the Citgo. "Everyone heard what happened to me and they (customers) say it's not right," he said today. "That makes me feel pretty good."
http://www.indystar.com/articles/0/200172-2600-102.html
The two public pay telephones in the parking lot will make a 911 call without need for any money to be deposited.