Police: Man in custody following Phoenix crime spree

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - Police say a man is in custody following a crime spree in north Phoenix.

On Thursday shortly after 9:00 p.m., officers responded to an armed robbery call near Tatum Boulevard and Bell Road. The convenience store clerk told officers that a man entered the store armed with a handgun, demanded money, then fled the scene with the cash in a white car.

An hour later, officers responded to another armed robbery call near 40th Street and Union Hills Drive. The suspect and vehicle description matched the first incident.

"Subsequently, three other robberies were committed by the same suspect within a two hour window," stated Phoenix Police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune.

Eventually, officers were able to set up surveillance in the area.

Around 1:00 a.m. on Friday, police saw a vehicle matching the description near 27th Avenue and Thunderbird Road. A traffic stop was conducted and the suspect was arrested.

"Detectives had gathered enough evidence from all the other locations and developed probable cause to arrest the 20-year-old for the armed robberies. He is in the booking process and will be identified once the process is complete," added Fortune.

A woman was also taken into custody, but police say she was not involved and later released.