Robber wanted since late August caught
Officials credit ‘outstanding’ detective work for capture
A robbery suspect wanted since late last month when he allegedly held up a Canyon Country business was arrested this week by local sheriff’s detectives who doggedly tracked the man’s getaway vehicle to a Castaic motel.
“This is another case of outstanding work by Santa Clarita Valley Station personnel,” Lt. Ignacio Somoano, who commands the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Station’s Detective Bureau.
Henry Bennett, 32, of Canyon Country, was arrested shortly after 7:45 p.m. Thursday on suspicion of robbery.
Bennett was taken into custody with bail set at $260,000.
Detectives began working the case on Aug. 28 when the suspect allegedly confronted the employee of an un-named business on the 18500 block of Soledad Canyon Road, in Canyon Country shortly after 1:30 p.m. that day, Somoano told The Signal.
Bennett “ordered him to open a cash drawer and to surrender the cash,” he said.
“The victim feared for his safety and complied with the suspect’s demand. The suspect then fled in a pickup truck.”
The suspect struck a second time, Somoano said, on Sept. 2 - again in the early afternoon - when he held up a business in Newhall, described only as being on the 23300 block of Lyons Avenue.
“The suspect contacted an employee at the location and threatened him with physical violence if he did not surrender the cash in his drawer,” Somoano said.
“The cash was surrendered and the suspect fled the location in a pickup truck,” he said.
“Detectives were able to investigate leads in these cases and within days, they had Mr. Bennett identified as the suspect.
“An alert was put out to Santa Clarita Valley Deputies advising them of Mr. Bennett’s identification and vehicle description, and the fact he was wanted for two robberies.
“Yesterday, (Thursday) evening, deputies located the suspect vehicle parked at a motel on Parker Road in Castaic,” Somoano said. “They conducted surveillance on the vehicle.
“The suspect eventually went to the vehicle and was taken into custody without incident. Evidence related to the crimes was also seized at the motel.”
Bennett is scheduled to appear Monday in San Fernando Superior Court.