Second man arrested for robbing store belongs to heavy metal band Crisis

Hazleton City Police have arrested the second man involved in Friday's holdup of Stefanik Brothers' Mini-Mart on Broad Street and the hide-out in an apartment building that followed.And he's the drummer for a fairly well-know heavy metal band named "Crisis."

Two men held up the convenience store Friday afternoon, then headed to an apartment building on Mine Street. City police searched the building and arrested one man, but the other got away.

Thomas Reabold was arrested Friday afternoon. He was arraigned over the weekend by District Judge Paul Roberts in Kingston, and is in Luzerne County Prison. Roberts set bail at $25,000 cash - meaning the entire amount has to be posted, rather than just 10 percent as in usual cases.

Over the weekend, police arrested the man who was on the lam.

Ryan Ball, 26, is in Luzerne County Prison facing two counts each of robbery, conspiracy to committee robbery, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. He was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke, who set bail at $5,000.

City police detective Ken Zipovsky said Ball was captured in Nuremberg with the help of state police. He had no money from the robbery on him.

"He said he didn't get any proceeds from the robbery," Zipovsky said. "We found him with 60 cents in change and can of deodorant."

Zipovsky said Ball was interviewed at City Hall and admitted his role in the robbery.

Ball is an Australian national here on a marriage visa and has no permanent regional address. Zipovsky said he came to Hazleton a few years ago, but had since moved away.

"He married a girl from West Hazleton, but then divorced her and moved to California," Zipovsky said. "He came back here to get his income taxes done. He was moving from location to location while he was here."

Zipovsky said Ball had known Reabold from his first stay in this area and happened to meet up with him. According to Zipovsky, Reabold said he was considered robbing a gas station or convenience store for the money.

"Ball said he reluctantly went along with it 'just to help his friend,'" Zipovsky said.

In California, Ball is a member of the heavy metal band, Crisis. While they've had no hit records, they are fairly well known underground in metal circles.

Crisis was formed in New York in 1993 and moved to California three years ago. They were among the first female-fronted metal band. The band's lead singer calls herself "Karyn Crisis."

Their latest album is called "Like Sheep Led to Slaughter" on End Records.

They have attracted some national and international attention. Metal Edge magazine picked them as one of the most underrated bands of the last 20 years.

According to the band's Web site, Ball joined in January, replacing the drummer. The site states Ball spent four years in Pennsylvania, "jamming with local bands Pure Outbreak, Incrypt, and Despire."

Crisis is slated to play the "Independence D Festival" in Tokyo on March 13. Ball, however, was not scheduled to accompany the other members, "due to immigration problems." But that posting was made before Ball's arrest.