Elizabeth J. Kurtzeborn, 53, of Cedar Hill has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for taking part in two armed robberies in Arnold, according to court documents.
Kurtzeborn pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree robbery, and on May 3, Jefferson County Div. 12 Associate Circuit Judge Tony Manansala sentenced her to 12 years for each robbery. However, the sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time. In addition, she may be released early if she successfully completes a 120-day treatment program, court papers indicate.
Jefferson County assistant prosecuting attorney Thomas E. Hollingsworth handled the cases.
On Nov. 7, 2017, Kurtzeborn waited in a Dodge Intrepid outside a Subway restaurant, 657 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold as Tyler Johnson of St. Louis allegedly entered the restaurant, walked behind the counter and forced two employees at gunpoint to the front of the store. Johnson allegedly made one employee open a cash register and took $328.38 from it, along with the receiver for a cordless phone worth $20. He exited the store and got into the Intrepid, which Kurtzeborn was driving, the report said.
On Nov. 13, 2017, Kurtzeborn entered a Title Max loan store, 914 Jeffco Blvd., in Arnold and talked with a clerk while also talking to someone on a cell phone. A short time later, Johnson came in, allegedly pointed a gun at the clerk and demanded the money for the day’s receipts, the probable-cause statement in the case said.
The clerk reportedly gave him the money, and Johnson allegedly went through two other drawers and took $658 from them. At one point, Johnston allegedly handed a cash drawer to Kurtzeborn, and the two left together in a Dodge Challenger, which was rented from Enterprise Leasing under Kurtzeborn’s name, the report said.
Authorities were able to track Kurtzeborn’s cell phone and found her and Johnson in Carbondale, Ill., where they were arrested. Johnson allegedly was wearing the same shoes that could be seen in surveillance video from the Subway and Title Max robberies, and Kurtzeborn was wearing the same boots and jacket as seen in surveillance video from the Title Max robbery. Police also reportedly found Johnson’s shirt from the Subway robbery, as well as glasses Kurtzeborn was wearing during the Title Max robbery in their car, according to the report.
The 12 years Kurtzeborn was sentenced to for the Jefferson County crimes also are to be served concurrent with a 12-year sentence she previously was sentenced to for first-degree robbery stemming from a Nov. 8, 2017, incident in St. Louis County, court records show.
She currently is in the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Vandalia.
Johnson also has been charged in Jefferson County with two counts of first-degree robbery, class A felonies, as well as two counts of armed criminal action, unclassified felonies. Each of the class A felonies is punishable by to 10 to 30 years or life in prison, and each of the unclassified felonies carries a minimum sentence of three years. The case is pending.