A man attempted to rob a 72-year-old Paso Robles resident at gunpoint on Saturday while she was at an ATM machine.
According to the Paso Robles police, officers responded to a call of an attempted armed robbery at the ATM of the Rabobank located on the 800 block of Spring Street. The victim told police she was completing a transaction at the walk-up ATM when the armed suspect demanded that she turn over her cell phone. She was accompanied by her eight-year-old grandson.
The victim told the armed suspect she did not have a cell phone. When he heard that, he ran to his vehicle. Once he left, the victim fled to her vehicle with her grandson. When she attempted to drive away, the suspect blocked her with his car. They collided and the victim called 911 to report what had happened.
As she tried to drive away a second time, the suspect used his vehicle to block her again. He then drove away for unknown reasons, heading south on Spring Street. PRPD received reports of a suspicious person in the 500 block of Spring Street at about the same time. His description matched that of the attempted robbery suspect.
According to police, the subject had reportedly broken out a window of a parked car and was acting erratically inside a check cashing business. Finally, police stopped him on 12th Street and he was detained without further incident. They discovered a loaded gun as well as a controlled substance in the car.
Mario Alejandro Valenciavalencia, 28, of Santa Maria, was arrested and booked into the SLO County Jail for attempted armed robbery, false imprisonment, elder abuse, child endangerment, vandalism, carrying a loaded firearm and possession of a controlled substance.
Read More:
The Tribune: Santa Maria man arrested after series of bizarre crimes
Cal Coast News: Santa Maria Man goes on criminal binge
