BEDFORD — A Bedford man is behind bars after allegedly entering a victim’s vehicle, brandishing a knife, and demanding his personal belongings as payment for an outstanding debt.
Matthew Kelley, 47, was arrested Tuesday evening, June 16, 2026, following an incident that began in the parking lot of the local Dollar Tree and ended with a police detention inside the neighboring Walmart.
Kelley now faces multiple criminal charges, including robbery with a deadly weapon, intimidation with a deadly weapon, unauthorized entry of a motor vehicle, and theft.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed by Bedford Police Officer Nicholas Crulo, officers were dispatched to 3200 John Williams Boulevard around 7:27 p.m. regarding an armed robbery that had just occurred.
The male victim told responding officers he was parked at the edge of the parking lot near the Dollar Tree at 3132 John Williams Boulevard when Kelley suddenly entered his vehicle without permission.
Once inside the car, Kelley allegedly demanded money he claimed the male owed him. The male victim told police that Kelley pulled out a small knife, ordered him to empty his pockets, and demanded his cell phone. According to court documents, Kelley allegedly threatened to “cut the victim up and break his nose” if he did not comply.
Fearing for his physical safety, the man handed over his phone. Pierce even offered to use Chime, a digital banking app, to pay the debt right then and there to de-escalate the situation, but Kelley refused. The suspect then took the phone, a vape pen, and a camera self-timer before exiting the vehicle and walking toward Walmart with a juvenile female.
Bedford police officers quickly flooded the area and searched the nearby Walmart. Officer Haluda located and detained Kelley near the store’s grocery section, where he was shopping with his young daughter.
After being escorted out of the store and read his Miranda rights, Kelley gave his side of the story to detectives.
Kelley admitted to entering the male victim’s car to confront him about a debt, stating he had previously warned the male victim that he would “ask him” about the money the next time he saw him out in public. However, Kelley claimed he didn’t accept the Chime app payment and took the phone, vape, and timer instead.
Kelley told police that after walking away from the car, he changed his mind, decided he didn’t want the items, and left them on a ledge outside the Walmart entrance. Officers successfully recovered the victim’s stolen property at that location.
While Kelley admitted to police that he was “verbally aggressive” during the altercation, he strongly denied pulling a knife, claiming he was merely holding his own cell phone in his left hand.
However, after being issued a Pirtle warning—which informs citizens of their constitutional right to refuse a vehicle search—Kelley gave officers consent to search his vehicle parked in the Walmart lot. Despite Kelley telling officers he had no weapons in the car, police discovered a small silver knife attached to his keychain, which was sitting directly in the vehicle’s ignition.
The knife was collected as evidence, photographed, and booked into the Bedford Police Department lock-up.
After the male victim reaffirmed that he wished to press criminal charges and successfully reclaimed his property, Kelley was transported to the Lawrence County Jail, where he remains remanded in the custody of the Lawrence County Sheriff.
All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This article is based on the information provided in the probable cause affidavit and does not represent a final determination of guilt or innocence.
