Fumbling sandwich shop robber took cash, sandwiches

Surveillance video of a May armed robbery in San Rafael was put on YouTube and led to the suspect's arrest.

SAN RAFAEL — The man accused of robbing a Subway sandwich shop in San Rafael last month was arrested Wednesday while eating lunch in the town of Pittsburg. The suspect, Arthur Luis Martinez, was taken into custody on June 8.

During the Subway hold-up, the suspect ordered two sandwiches and two sodas before flashing a handgun at the cashier and demanding she give him the money in her register. The woman complied, and a surveillance tape showed the thief stuffing dollar bills into the bag that also held the sandwiches he ordered.

The surveillance tape was made available to the public via the internet and TV broadcasts, which led to “valuable investigative leads,” according to a press release issued by the San Rafael Police Department. Lt. Dan Fink, who helped set up a YouTube channel for the department, said one of the tips that led to the arrest of the subject came from a person who “initially saw the film via a media outlet and then went to the YouTube site and watched it” to confirm the identification of the suspect.

The information they received resulted in a warrant being issued for 43-year-old Martinez, who was apprehended at a taqueria in Pittsburg, about 50 miles away from where the robbery occurred.

At the time of the theft, the suspect was wearing sunglasses but his face was otherwise visible. The security camera had an obstructed view as he stood in front of the counter, where he appeared nervous, gnawing on a toothpick throughout the brazen heist. At various points, he appeared to fumble for his gun, which was tucked into a large shoulder bag.

With help from officers of the Pittsburg Police Department, detectives from San Rafael took Martinez into custody without a struggle. He was booked at Marin County jail on a single count of armed robbery, although the San Rafael Police Department is considering him as a suspect in other incidents.

A clip of the robbery is currently available on YouTube under the title “Subway Restaurant Armed Robbery (SR11-03599).” The department also has a Twitter feed, currently listed as having over 2,000 followers. A Tweet announcing the capture of Martinez read “Great work once again by your Detectives at SRPD,” and was re-tweeted by @marinhottiemilf along with one other user.