Pelham police have arrested two suspects in connection with the Sept. 8 armed robbery of Cousin’s Convenience store on Main Street.

Kristopher Boissonneault, 22, of 101 Mammoth Road in Pelham, was charged with armed robbery after admitting to police during an interview that he entered the store brandishing a knife and robbed the clerk. He also faces a felony cocaine possession charge.

During questioning, Boissonneault revealed Matthew Perrotti, 18, of 116 Bridge St. in Pelham was the driver of their getaway vehicle. Perrotti was charged with criminal liability for the conduct of another.

On Monday, Sept. 8, according to a police affidavit prepared by Pelham police Sgt. Thomas O’Donnell, Boissonneault allegedly drove his silver Ford Explorer to Cousin’s and dropped off Perrotti, who went into the store to see who was working and how the cash register could be accessed. After making a small purchase, Perrotti left the store and met Boissoneault where he’d parked the Explorer, at the Highland Avenue apartments behind the store.

Shortly after, Boissoneault allegedly entered the store wearing black clothes and a gray ski mask, threatening the clerk with a long knife thought to be a machete and demanding the cash she was preparing for deposit, O’Donnell wrote in the affidavit. The clerk handed over a bag containing a large amount of money, and Boissonneault tried to open the cash drawer, according to police. When he couldn’t get it open, he grabbed several rolls of quarters from the counter and fled the store on foot and headed behind the building toward the apartment complex.

As he stood outside the store, Boissonneault removed his mask in plain view of the clerk, who was able to describe the suspect to police.

Police arrived at Cousin’s at around 3:40 p.m., and were able to track the suspect’s scent back to the apartments. The track was lost in the parking lot. They also found some rolls of quarters and the mask along the path Boissonneault allegedly took.

Police interviewed apartment tenants, one of whom said he saw the silver Ford Explorer exiting the parking lot, according to the affidavit.

While investigators were contemplating possible suspects, O’Donnell remembered that he and another detective were conducting surveillance for drug activity in the Cousin’s parking lot when a silver Ford Explorer drove through the parking lot, but did not stop or park before tearing out at a high speed.

The detectives requested a license plate number check, and a nearby marked unit was able to identify the vehicle’s owner as Boissoneault.

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, the clerk was asked to pick the suspect out from a photo lineup, and easily identified Boissonneault, according to court documents. Police performed some more drug-related surveillance on Boissonneault before issuing a warrant for his arrest. He was stopped while driving at 5:09 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17, and taken to the station for having cocaine in his possession.

When police questioned him about the robbery, Boissonneault allegedly admitted to doing it and gave up Perrotti as his driver, according to the affidavit.

“The police did very good,” said the store clerk. “Now we are going to have security cameras.”

Pathik Patel, one of the store’s managers, said security at the store is going to be a lot tighter now that they are setting up the cameras and have installed a panic button.

The store has been in business for about 10 months, he said.

“We thought this was a safe town, but I guess nothing’s too safe,” Patel said, adding the clerk was very sharp to have the presence of mind to remember the suspect and identify him from photos.

Patel said he is pleased with the Pelham Police Department’s thorough investigation. He added while the robbery was traumatizing for them, it’s going to be equally hard for the families of Boissonneault and Perrotti.

“I wish it didn’t happen,” he said. “They’re young kids. You don’t want their lives to end up this way.”

Both Boissonneault and Perrotti had probable cause hearings scheduled in Salem District Court for Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.