Gas station robbery suspect turns himself in

Surveillance video footage of a recent robbery at a Lorain gas station was posted on the Lorain County CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Facebook page on Oct. 17 and that prompted the suspect to turn himself in the next day, according to Lorain police Lt. Ed Super.

Julio C. Padilla-Ortiz, 45, of Lorain, was charged with a single count of aggravated robbery after demanding money from a cashier at West Erie Food Mart, 5375 W. Erie Ave., on Oct. 16 around 11:27 p.m. He turned himself in shortly before 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 18.

According to a police report:

A 30-year-old male cashier was counting the lottery cash drawer when Padilla-Ortiz entered the store. Padilla-Ortiz approached the counter with his right hand underneath his sweatshirt pointed toward the victim.

The male victim said Padilla-Ortiz acted like he was pulling the slide back on a gun and demanded the cash the victim was counting. Believing Padilla-Ortiz had a gun, the victim complied.

Padilla-Ortiz took the money and ran to a black vehicle, possibly a Honda, that was parked in the northeast corner of the parking lot.

The report said the object under Padilla-Ortiz’s shirt appeared to resemble the outline of a small handgun, upon reviewing surveillance video. The video also showed police that Padilla-Ortiz appeared to toss something before entering his vehicle and driving east on West Erie.

When officers searched the area, they located a purple toy gun with an orange tip lying on the ground. According to the report, the toy gun was dry and free of dirt despite the fact that it rained most of the night and items around the toy were dirty.

Padilla-Ortiz was booked into the Lorain City Jail and is being held on no bond, according to city jail personnel. The suspect is expected to appear in Lorain Municipal Court on Oct. 19.

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