Photo: 2499 N. Cottonwood Circle
EL CENTRO — Police made quick work in the arrest of a fast-food robber early in the morning of July 19th. At approximately 1:50 AM, officers from the El Centro Police Department were dispatched to the Jack In The Box at 2499 N. Cottonwood Circle, where an armed robbery was in progress.
Wielding a knife, the suspect demanded that cash be placed in paper bags. He quickly left the establishment on foot, heading in the direction of a nearby Chase Bank.
El Centro Police Officers, assisted by Imperial Police, arrived within four minutes and spotted the suspect running through a dirt lot near Sonic. They arrested him without incident.
The suspect, later identified as Anthony Martinez (30), tried to dispose of his clothes, the disguise he used in the robbery, and the stolen cash. Fortunately, several customers and employees of the Jack In The Box were able to identify Martinez as the perpetrator.
The money was returned to the business and Martinez was later booked at the Imperial County Jail for armed robbery (211 P.C.).
Jack In The Box employees thanked the police for their quick response and being able to return the money. The ECPD was grateful that nobody was injured during the robbery, which they say can often be unpredictable and turn violent.
