Advertisement Convenience store clash: Gutsy clerk fights robber, foils hold-up Ronald Castrello, 45, of South Portland, arrested on robbery charge Share Shares Copy Link Copy

A South Portland convenience store clerk fought back early Saturday morning when a would-be robber tried to rob the store by claiming he had a weapon underneath his sweatshirt.But the robbery at Circle K convenience store at 690 Main St. did not go smoothly, according to police, who said the robber did not expect the clerk to resist when the robber grabbed the clerk's arm.“The clerk in this case was a bit more determined to win than the suspect, so in my opinion, it's a happy ending,” said Sgt. Steve Webster.Webster said the incident began shortly before 6 a.m. when a man in a red hooded sweatshirt walked into the store, approached the counter and ordered the clerk to hand over all the money in his cash drawer.“In this particular case, it didn't work out that way,” Webster said.Instead, the clerk and robber got into a struggle behind the front counter that worked its way to the back of the store, causing a significant amount of damage, Webster said. The clerk ultimately got the upper hand on the robber, placing him in a choke hold and pinning him to the floor until a customer came to the clerk's aid.“Apparently the clerk in this case did have a weapon on him: his right arm,” Webster said.A photo taken from a surveillance camera in the store shows the clerk struggling with a man wearing a red hooded sweatshirt.When South Portland police arrived at the store, they found the clerk holding 45-year-old Ronald Castrello, of South Portland. Castrello was arrested on a robbery charge.After taking Castrello to a local hospital to be checked, police brought Castrello to the Cumberland County Jail, where he was booked. Webster said police learned that Castrello had 11 outstanding arrest warrants for unpaid fines. He is being held without bail.Webster said police normally advise clerks to give robbers what they ask for. However in this case, Webster said, the clerk was left with little choice once the robber grabbed his arm. The clerk, whose name was not released, "instinctively protected himself."“Everybody's asking, 'Did he do the right thing?’ Webster said. “In most cases like this we encourage people not to confront an armed robber or a potentially armed robber, but in this particular case, what was the guy going to do?"