Police: Man Pulls Knife During Attempted Shoplifting At Department Store

A man faces a charge of aggravated robbery after he pulled out a knife while scuffling with a department store security guard Sunday, according to Mentor Police.

Aaron Lunato, 24, of Painesville, was trying to return three cases of shoplifted bracelets at J.C. Penney when the altercation occurred, Mentor Police Lt. Ken Zbiegien said.

He had done the same thing with shoplifted watches earlier that day, Zbiegien added.

A security guard found Lunato suspicious and tried to stop him. When he did, Lunato hit the guard in the throat with his forearm, Zbiegien said.

The two scuffled and Lunato pulled out a pocketknife. However, the guard was able to knock the knife out of Lunato's hand and kick it away, Zbiegien said.

Lunato ran into the parking lot where he jumped into a white pickup truck. The truck was driven by Michael Ragozzino, 28, and a woman named Tonna Kovacs, 34, was also inside. Both Ragozzino and Kovacs live in Painesville.

However, Mentor Police saw the truck and stopped it before Lunato and the others could get away, Zbiegien said.

Police arrested the three and searched the truck. Inside of it, they found heroin, a prescription opiate called suboxone and drug paraphernalia like spoons, needles, cotton balls and more, Zbiegien said.

Lunato was charged with aggravated robbery and possession of heroin and drug-abuse instruments.

Ragozzino was charged with complicity to aggravated robbery and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Kovacs was charged wth misdemeanor counts of possession of drugs, drug-abuse instruments and paraphernalia.

Lunato and Ragozzino were arraigned Monday morning in .