Vista Couple Arrested on Suspicion of Grocery Store Robbery
A couple was arrested on suspicion of robbery in Vista at a grocery store after a sheriff’s deputy spotted Arizona license plates on their car and connected them to the robbery, the North County Times reports. Police arrested Manuel Palacio, 33 and his girlfriend Maria Angeles, 27, when they were driving in the 300 block of West Los Angeles Drive when San Diego Sheriff’s Deputy Paul Michalke recognized their vehicle as the one described by a witness in a May 29 robbery at the Stater Bros. on East Vista Way, the article states.
Police say the couple was in the getaway car used by three alleged robbers, one of whom filled a cart with groceries and tried to get out without paying for them. When a store employee tried to stop them and demanded that they pay for the merchandise, one of the three people brandished a gun at the employee, officials say. Palacio and Angeles were also reportedly seen on a surveillance video obtained during the robbery investigation. Police also say that their statements immediately after their arrest “tie them to the robbery.” Police are still looking for the man who brandished the gun.
Robbery is among the more serious of property crimes, especially because it involves the elements of physical threat, violence and use of a weapon. A robbery conviction could mean a lengthy prison sentence, a permanent dent on your record and of course, fines and penalties. If you or someone you know has been charged with robbery, theft or burglary, please call the Law Office of Stephen Brodsky for a free consultation.
