Charges: Locked Door Thwarts Gas Station Wallet Thief
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – An 18-year-old man is facing robbery charges after he allegedly tried to steal a woman's wallet from a gas station counter but was thwarted by simple mechanism: a locked door.
Esteban Rodriguez, of Columbia Heights, is charged with one count of simple robbery stemming for the incident early Tuesday morning.
According to a criminal complaint, Rodriguez tried to rob a woman around 2 a.m. at the SuperAmerica on East River Road in Fridley.
The woman told authorities that Rodriguez swiped her wallet off the counter and a gold necklace off her body as she was standing at checkout.
Witnesses said Rodriguez tried to flee but was stopped by a locked door. As he sought another exit, witnesses in the gas station grabbed him and held him down until police arrived.
If convicted of the robbery charge, Rodriguez faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and/or fine of $20,000.
