Man Held on $20K Bail in Strong Armed Robbery

UPDATE, 12:30 P.M.: Corey Jarest was ordered held on $20,000 cash bail during a video arraignment held Friday in Salem Circuit Court.

He is now scheduled to appear in Portsmouth Circuit Court on March 21 at 8:30 a.m.

An earlier story follows:

A Portsmouth man was arrested for a strong armed robbery on Thursday afternoon and will be arraigned Friday morning in Portsmouth Circuit Court.

According to Portsmouth Police, officers responded to a reported fight at the Wrens Nest Hotel on Lafayette Road at 2:45 p.m. and found several individuals that led to the arrest of Cory Jarest, 27, of 9 Kent St. in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth Police Lt. Russell Russo said Jarest was charged with strong armed robbery a class B felony. Police said Jarest left the scene and returned a short time later.

Russo said Jarest was also charged with two counts of second degree assault, a class A felony, and one count of attempted armed robbery, a class A felony.

Russo said Jarest was charged with these two offenses because police found a weapon, a small wooden souvenir style baseball bat, that was used in those crimes.

Russo said two people were treated and released at the scene for minor injuries by Portsmouth Fire Department. No one was transported to the hospital. 

Bail in the amount of $15,000 cash only was set for Jarest and he is scheduled to be arraigned in Portsmouth Circuit Court on Friday at 9 a.m.