Police: Suspect ID'd through purchase at same store he robbed
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Investigators said they were able to identify a suspected robber by using information gathered from a debit card transaction. Detectives said moments before robbing a store clerk at the Sunoco Food Mart on West Columbia Avenue in Kissimmee, Juan Rafael Diaz made a purchase using his own card.
According to police, Diaz walked into the store on Tuesday, pulled a gun on the clerk behind the counter and demanded money and took off with cash, but only after buying a Gatorade.
Diaz, 29, was located at Martial Arts Plus where he works as an instructor and voluntarily came to the Kissimmee Police Department on Thursday to talk with detectives.
Diaz is now charged with robbery, grand theft, providing a false report and tampering with evidence. He was transported to the Osceola County Jail where he is held on no bond. Authorities said Diaz is also linked to another grand theft case that occurred on Monday. Charges in that case are pending.