Lynn bakery bandit held without bail

SALEM – A Lynn felon who robbed a Lynn bakery on Lewis Street in 2008 and again tried to rob the same bakery two months ago, despite an order to stay away from it, remains held at the Middleton Jail without bail after pleading innocent.Joseph James, 25, of 39 Rockaway St., #2, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday in Salem Superior Court to charges of armed assault with intent to rob and assault with a dangerous weapon before Judge Timothy Q. Feeley.As jointly agreed by the prosecutor and defense, the judge ordered James held without bail, but left the door open for a bail review at another court date and continued the case to May 18.It was shortly after 2 p.m. on Feb. 28 when police say that James, wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and fingerless gloves walked into Arnold’s Bakery located at 76 Lewis St., wielding a knife and demanding money from the store ownerBut the very feisty 37-year-old female clerk was not going to let him rob her again and fought back, grabbing a 4-foot metal rod, striking the holdup man on his right arm, causing him to drop the knife.A customer entered the store just as James picked up the knife. He was hit on the arm as James fled empty-handed from the store toward Phillips Avenue.Police investigating the crime received an anonymous tip reportedly fingering James as the assailant.When police questioned James he denied robbing the store and said the bruise on his arm happened during a fight with another man.James also was ordered held without bail on a pending probation violation based on the new charges concerning his arrest in 2008.On Feb. 4, 2008 James walked into the same bakery at about 2:30 p.m. and demanded money from the owner, fleeing with over $200.Police arrested him within minutes following the holdup. The victim positively identified him as the holdup man. James also made a statement to police admitting to the robbery.James pleaded guilty in October of 2008 on the case and was sentenced to serve two to three years in state prison with five years probation upon his release. He also was ordered to stay away from the victims and the bakery.James currently is still on probation on the case and is expected to be violated by the probation department because of his new arrest, if he is convicted.Assistant District Attorney Kristen R. Buxton prosecuted the older case and is also assigned to prosecute his new case.