How clerks, customers, witnesses can help lead to robbers' arrests
UPDATE: Modesto police on Wednesday released on Facebook a photograph of the man who brandished a handgun when robbing the Chevron Extra Mile minimart at 2101 Sylvan Ave on Tuesday, Jan 30.
ORIGINAL STORY: The bad news from the Modesto Police Department: No suspects yet have been identified in a string of at least eight robberies of Modesto businesses late last month.
The good news, said department spokeswoman Heather Graves: The rash of robberies has died down recently, perhaps because of all the attention focused on the perpetrators. And investigators continue to work on evidence and seek witnesses in the cases.
The Arco am/pm store at Coffee Road and Floyd Avenue was robbed Monday, but the robber does not match the description of any of the men involved in the others, Graves said. He is possibly Latino and is in his 30s, 5-foot-8, about 220 pounds. He wore a red beanie with white lettering, a black hooded jacket, a black shirt with a green and white design, royal blue shorts and black tennis shoes. He drove a gray Chevrolet Impala.
On Sunday, Jan. 28, five stores were robbed — four of them at gunpoint. A male wielding a handgun and wearing a hood and ski mask robbed the am/pm store at 3001 Yosemite Blvd. Two black men in hoods and masks used a gun in robbing the Bottle N'Cork Liquor stores at at 1300 Sylvan Ave. and 2055 Tully Road. The same pair are believed to have robbed Village Wine & Spirits, 3948 Sylvan Ave.
Also that day, three males grabbed pharmaceuticals from the CVS store at 1700 McHenry Ave. Two were described as black and one as possibly Latino, 17 to 21 years old and wearing dark clothing.
The next day, two men stole a cash register from an ice cream shop at 2039 Tully Road. That night, the College Market at College and Bowen avenues also was hit.
And on Tuesday, Jan. 30, a man who brandished a handgun robbed the Chevron Extra Mile minimart at 2101 Sylvan Ave.
On what leads to breaks in cases like these, MPD Chief Galen Carroll said strong witness descriptions of suspects and their modes of transportation are of great help. If they flee in a vehicle, color, make, model and even a partial license plate focus the hunt. But knowing they left on bike or by foot also matters.
Tips to the Police Department and Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers (www.stancrimetips.org) also are key, and tipsters may remain anonymous.
A strong complement to eyewitness descriptions is surveillance camera footage. Directing her comments to shop owners, Graves said, ""We want good surveillance. It's great that a store has surveillance, but if it's not good quality, it's harder for us to make a case. Invest the money."
If a business becomes known for capturing sharp images with its cameras, criminals even may choose to stay away. "It’s about building layers," Graves said, likening robberies to other types of crime. "Maybe a car alarm alone wont stop somebody from breaking into or stealing your car, but if you have an anti-theft device like a Club, and you take your items out of your car, those are all building layers, and you're less likely to be victimized."
The department's message to clerks and customers alike is one that's been shared to everyone from residents walking their dogs to trained police volunteers: Stay alert. "Our advice to clerks is to not become complacent while working, and that goes to everybody," Graves said. "We become complacent at work or on our way home, that's just the way we are. Be aware of your surroundings, be a good witness. Be able to give a good description."
Things to note include height, weight, race/ethnicity, hair and eye color, approximate age and distinguishing marks such as tattoos or scars. Clothing descriptions are important, but head coverings, sweat shirts and jackets can be easily discarded. Graves has said shoes are important to note because they are unlikely to be changed immediately.
Police also want to ensure store clerks and customers cooperate to keep themselves safe. Every once in a while, a store employee makes the news for successfully staring down a criminal. But taking such a gamble can end badly. "Do what you're told by the robbers," Graves advised. "Don't try to fight."
This story was originally published February 6, 2018 at 1:32 PM with the headline "How clerks, customers, witnesses can help lead to robbers' arrests."