Police: Suspected Robber Found in Possession of Stolen Mountain View Weapons

By Renee Schiavone and Bay City News Service: 

An 18-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbing two Redwood City businesses and attempting to hold up a third throughout Wednesday morning, according to police.  What's more, when they arrested him, he was found to be in possession of weapons stolen in Mountain View, police said.


It all started when the first robbery occurred at the 7-Eleven at 1700 Broadway around 3 a.m., police said.

 The suspect, later identified as Redwood City resident Febronio Mendoza, allegedly entered the store and demanded the sole employee hand over the cash in the register. 

"The suspect told the victim he had a gun as he kept his hand concealed in his front pants pocket, indicating to the clerk he had a gun,"  Redwood Police Lt. Sean Hart said in a press release.  "The clerk gave the suspect the money from the register and the suspect fled on foot."

 Later, around 10:30 a.m., Mendoza-- clad in a black hooded sweatshirt and mask-- allegedly entered a Subway sandwich shop at 1926 El Camino Real and again demanded money from an employee, according to Hart.  

However, that employee didn't comply.

"The employee did not respond to the suspect’s demands and the suspect fled out of the store on foot," Hart said.

 At another Subway location at 768 Woodside Road around 10:40 a.m., Mendoza allegedly entered in the same clothing and mask and demanded money from the cash register, police said.

 "The suspect lifted his sweatshirt and showed the employee a handgun that was tucked in his waistband," Hart said.  "The employee opened the cash register and gave the suspect money from the register drawer."

 The man then left the store and a witness saw him get into a dark colored BMW parked in the parking lot, and drive off.

 Police arrived to the area and recovered video surveillance images of the car leaving the lot. An officer recognized the vehicle from a traffic stop from a few weeks earlier and passed along possible suspect information to investigators, police said.

 Around 3:30 p.m. Mendoza allegedly came to the Police Department to report that his vehicle, a black 2006 BMW, had been involved in a hit-and-run incident. Detectives were able to connect the vehicle and man to the robberies from earlier that day by looking at surveillance videos.

 A subsequent search of the man's residence turned up evidence from the robberies including a handgun and two rifles, police said. 

 "The firearms were reported stolen from a residential burglary that occurred in Mountain View," Hart added.

 Mendoza was booked into San Mateo County Jail on robbery and attempted robbery charges. Police said there were no injuries at any of the robbery sites. Anyone with information is asked to call Redwood City police Detective Dave Stahler at (650) 780-7620.


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