SAN RAFAEL – On September 30 at approximately 3:35 am, an armed unknown suspect entered the Shell Gas Station at 950 Del Presidio Boulevard in San Rafael and robbed the store of cash and lottery tickets. The suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of officers.
Caught on surveillance video
The gas station clerk told officers that he was outside near the pumps when he first saw the suspect inside the store. Assuming that the man was a customer needing assistance the clerk returned to the store. He noticed a handgun in the suspect’s waistband as he passed him in the store but before he could react the suspect pulled out the handgun and demanded that he give him cash and lottery tickets.
The clerk complied with the suspect’s demands. The suspect then told the clerk to wait in the back of the store for five minutes before calling the police. The suspect left the station in an unknown direction.
On October 8 at approximately 5:30 am, Novato PD patrol units were dispatched to an attempted robbery occurring in the vicinity of the 1300 block of Hamilton Parkway. Officers contacted a suspect matching a description provided by the reporting party. During the course of the investigation officers developed information leading them to believe that the suspect may wanted for armed robbery in two other cases. The suspect was arrested for attempted burglary and a parole violation.
The Chevron Station in Petaluma that was robbed.
Petaluma PD detectives were notified that the Novato PD had arrested a suspect in a recent armed robbery there, which had several similarities to a Petaluma case on September 28, which occurred at a Chevron gas station at 4999 Petaluma Boulevard North. Detectives also had physical evidence linking the suspect to the Petaluma investigation.
The Novato Shell Station
The suspect was identified as 51-year-old Danny Raymond Bester, a resident of Novato. Bester was booked for six felonies and three misdemeanors including, attempted burglary, a felony parole violation, three robberies, three burglaries, and two counts of exhibiting a deadly weapon and is being held at the Marin County Jail. Bail(s) have been set at $10,000 for the attempted burglary and at $75,000 for each of the three robberies.
