Two arrested for robbing Dino Mart at knifepoint
An all-night investigation by Porterville Police Department resulted in the apprehension of two people suspected of robbing the Dino Mart at 1445 West Henderson Ave. Tuesday.
The robbery happened at about 3:13 p.m. The male suspect, who was captured on video robbing the convenience store at knife point, fled the business on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash.
As a precaution, staff at nearby Monache High School were requested to place the school on lockdown.
Officers arrived on scene and contacted the clerk, who was uninjured as a result of the robbery. Subsequent investigation revealed that the suspect entered the business at approximately 3:09 p.m.
The suspect went to a cooler on the retail floor, where he selected a soda. After other patrons exited the business, the suspect approached the clerk, who was tending the register. The suspect pulled a large knife from his waistband and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk allowed the suspect to take money from the cash register drawer.
The suspect then fled the business on foot, eastbound along Henderson Avenue. Visual observation of the suspect was lost as he fled southbound into the Porterville Marketplace shopping center. Officers checked the immediate and surrounding area for the suspect but were unable to locate him.
Porterville Police officers initiated the investigation and ultimately turned the case over to detectives with the General Investigation Unit.
Throughout the night and early morning hours, further leads developed that identified the male suspect as Jacob Allen Arriaga, 25 from Porterville. As a result, the search for Arriaga continued and at approximately 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Arriaga's vehicle was located on Henderson Avenue at Porter Road.
PPD detectives and patrol officers converged on the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop, which yielded within the intersection. Jacob Arriaga and Rhyannen Mcconnell, 22 from Porterville, were contacted inside the vehicle, both of whom were arrested without incident. Further evidence of the crime was located and seized from within their vehicle.
At the conclusion of the investigation, it was determined that both Arriaga and Mcconnell conspired to commit the robbery and that Mcconnell aided as the getaway driver along with efforts to conceal Arriaga's appearance.
Both were booked into the custody of the Tulare County Sheriff Department on the above noted charges. Anyone with information regarding this investigation is urged to contact Detective Manuel Franco at (559) 7827400.