Arlington PD: Pair goes on 7-Eleven armed robbery spree

ARLINGTON, Texas - Arlington police arrested a pair of criminals who targeted 7-Eleven stores.

Police were alerted about the four armed robberies that happened early Friday morning in just a couple hours.

Officers took note of the suspects’ trend and staked out stores that hadn't been robbed, eventually catching them in the act.

Within a two-and-a-half hour crime spree that began at 1:40 a.m., Arlington police say 17-year-old Paul Mandujano and 19-year-old Akisha Gonzalez robbed four 7-Eleven stores in the city.

In each case, the two suspects wore bandanas and hoodies, entered the convenience stores and demanded cash. Police say Mandujano pointed a gun at the clerks.

It was at the fourth location at the corner of I-20 and Matlock that an officer saw the duo running out of the store towards a get-a-way car parked off site. Gonzalez jumped in the driver's seat. Mandujano took off on foot.

“The female tries to leave the parking lot at a rapid speed,” said Arlington PD Lt. Chris Cook. “As she hits the intersection right where the 7-Eleven is at, she makes a right-hand turn on Matlock and was unable to negotiate the turn due to her speed, and ended up on the center median and struck a light. Her car was completely disabled. She fled from the vehicle.”

A short time after the bailout, Gonzalez surrendered to officers. About 20 minutes later, Mandujano was located by police in a wooded area near the gas station.

Detectives entered the serial number of the suspect's gun and came back stolen from a home burglary in Saint Louis, Missouri, in 1979. Police say it just goes to show the life cycle of a stolen weapon and how, if it ends up in the wrong hands, can be used to commit a crime.

Both suspects are charged with aggravated robbery and evading arrest.