Woman arrested after knife-point robbery at Red Carpet Inn in East Hempfield
A 48-year-old woman was taken into custody after a late-night robbery at the Red Carpet Inn where a clerk was held at knife point and bound with tape.
On Wednesday, August 19, 2026 at approximately 0335hrs, an East Hempfield Township officer conducting a premise check at the Red Carpet Inn (2101 Columbia Ave.) was alerted that a female in a hooded sweatshirt had robbed the 31-year-old front desk clerk at knife point, restrained his hands with tape and fled on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. Investigators identified the suspect as 48-year-old Jennifer L. Dommel, who had been living out of a vehicle near the business; she was taken into custody that afternoon and charged with one count each of Robbery (F-1), Unlawful Restraint (M-1) and Simple Assault (M-2) and turned over to Lancaster County Prison – Central Booking for arraignment. Dommel is presumed innocent.