Santa Rosa police arrest suspect in armed robbery at gas station
Police in Santa Rosa on Tuesday morning arrested a man on suspicion of armed robbery at a gas station, the department said.
At about 6:37 a.m., police received a 911 call about an armed robbery at a gas station in the 200 block of Dutton Avenue. An employee there said a man wearing a mask and dark hoodie who was armed with a handgun had just robbed the store.
An investigation revealed that the suspect entered the gas station and placed a handgun wrapped in a bandana on the counter near the employee working at the cash register. The woman, fearful for her safety, put an undisclosed amount of money into a bag and the suspect took it, according to police.
The suspect left the store and fled on a bicycle, going east on the Joe Rodota Trail.
A description of the suspect was provided to all officers, many of whom had already begun patrolling the creek trails and downtown looking for him, police said. Two officers in the area of Wilson Avenue and Fifth Street contacted a man matching the description of the suspect, but who was wearing different clothing than originally described.
Officers searching the Joe Rodota Trail and surrounding areas located the suspect's bike on the Prince Memorial Greenway under the Third Street bridge, according to police. They also located the suspect's discarded clothing, a mask, the bag of money from the gas station, and a handgun under the Pierson Street bridge.
The firearm used in this robbery was a privately manufactured firearm, commonly referred to as a "ghost gun." It was an un-serialized 9mm firearm loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine and one round in the chamber, according to police.
Officers arrested parolee Santa Rosa resident Juan Carlos Lopez, 35, on suspicion of armed robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.