Captain America mask robberies suspect arrested

Modesto police said they've arrested the man who wore a Captain America mask to rob two businesses this week. Authorities said they nabbed Aaron Gonzalez, 22, after he tried to hold up another store, albeit this time in a more conventional ski mask. That robbery attempt, on Wednesday, was thwarted by a quick-thinking employee.

Police were called to Rogers Jewelry, 3600 Sisk Road, at 4 p.m. Wednesday for a report of an attempted robbery. An employee saw a man approaching the entrance wearing a ski mask and carrying a baseball bat and quickly locked the door, keeping the man out.

After the man tried to open the door and realized it was locked, he returned to a white Ford Focus and drove away. Employees of the store reported the attempted robbery and offered a description of the car.

Officer Jim Reeves was nearby, heard the call and started looking. Within minutes, he found the car near Dale Road and Braden Avenue, not far from the store. He stopped the car and detained the driver, Gonzalez.

A search of the car yielded a ski mask, baseball bat and firearm. Rogers Jewelry employees identified Gonzalez as the man who tried to enter the business and said he also robbed the store Aug. 13, when he wore a mask and used a baseball bat to smash a glass counter and took several items of jewelry.

Upon questioning Gonzalez, investigators said they determined that he had been involved in at least three other robberies. Detectives went to Gonzalez's home and recovered additional evidence linking him to the robberies, including a Captain America Halloween mask.

Gonzalez was booked Wednesday at the Stanislaus County Jail on suspicion of three counts of robbery and one count of attempted robbery.

This story was originally published December 13, 2012 at 12:40 PM with the headline "Captain America mask robberies suspect arrested."