Two Pittsfield Residents Arrested After Hollis Armed Robbery Left a Dog Dead on Laurel Hill Road, With Police Filing Felony Weapons and Cruelty Charges
HOLLIS, NH — Police in New Hampshire have arrested two Pittsfield residents after a two-month investigation into an armed robbery in Hollis that ended with a dog being shot and killed. Hollis police said the case centers on a confrontation on Laurel Hill Road and that the suspects were taken into custody early this morning in Manchester.
Joshua Peno, 35, and Mariah Troughton, 34, were arrested on warrants issued by Hollis police. Both are now facing court proceedings after investigators said the robbery involved a firearm, threats, and the fatal shooting of the resident’s dog. Authorities said the case remains open and additional charges are possible.
Police say the robbery began with an online exchange and an arranged meeting
According to Hollis police, the incident started after a male resident arranged to meet a woman at his home through electronic communications. When he was told she had arrived, he went outside to the driveway with his dog.
Investigators say he was then confronted by the woman and an unidentified man. Police said the pair displayed a gun, shot the dog, and demanded money. The dog was killed during the encounter. Authorities have not publicly identified the resident involved in the meeting, and they have not said what the original communication concerned.
The robbery location, Laurel Hill Road, became the focus of the investigation that stretched for about two months before arrests were made. Police have not said whether anyone else was present at the home.
Joshua Peno faces armed robbery and weapons-related felony counts
Authorities said Joshua Peno is charged with Class A felony armed robbery. He also faces Class B felony counts of felon in possession of a dangerous weapon, felonious use of firearms, and cruelty to animals.
Those charges reflect the separate parts of the allegations investigators say occurred during the robbery: the use of a firearm, the threat against the victim, and the killing of the dog. Police did not say in the notice what specific evidence led them to file the charges, beyond the results of the investigation and the warrants.
Felony accusations carry the case into superior court-level proceedings, and Peno is being held while the case moves forward. Officials said the arrest was made by Manchester police on behalf of Hollis investigators.
Mariah Troughton is accused of helping carry out the robbery
Mariah Troughton, 34, was charged with Class A felony criminal liability for conduct of another in connection with armed robbery. Police said the charge stems from her role in the incident rather than from being accused of acting alone.
Hollis police said the woman involved in the arranged meeting was part of the confrontation that led to the robbery. Investigators did not publicly describe any additional actions attributed specifically to Troughton beyond the charge filed against her.
Like Peno, Troughton was arrested on an active warrant and taken into custody in Manchester. She is being held pending court proceedings, and police said the investigation could still generate more charges as it continues.
Manchester officers made the arrests before dawn on active warrants
Manchester police arrested both suspects around 2 a.m. after Hollis police issued active warrants. The arrests took place early this morning, bringing a stop to the search that followed the robbery investigation.
Police said the pair were then transferred to the Hillsborough County House of Corrections. Both were denied bail, meaning they will remain in custody until their scheduled court date unless that status changes in court.
The case is set for arraignment on Oct. 5 in the 9th Circuit Court in Nashua. That hearing will be the next public step in the criminal process, when the charges are expected to be formally addressed.
Multiple agencies worked the case from Hollis to Pittsfield and Manchester
The investigation involved several law-enforcement agencies working together. Hollis police said Manchester and Pittsfield police assisted, along with the New Hampshire Department of Corrections and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Officials said the collaboration helped bring the case to the arrest stage after a two-month probe. The agencies did not release a detailed timeline of the investigation, but they said it is still active.
Police also said more charges may be filed as investigators continue reviewing the robbery and the events that led to the shooting. For now, the arrests mark the first public outcome in a case that began with a meeting arranged online and ended with a dead dog, an armed robbery allegation, and multiple felony counts.
