Man sought in 4 robberies in a week, including Fresno Metro PCS, is ID’d by police

A Sanger man is wanted in connection with a six-day string of robberies in Madera, Fresno and Chowchilla and police turned to the public Wednesday for help to find him.

Johnny Barajas, 35, with convictions for felony assault and robbery and multiple warrants for his arrest, is considered armed and dangerous, Madera police Lt. Gino Chiaramonte said.

The first in the series of robberies was at the Metro PCS store on Kings Canyon Road in Fresno on May 14. Three days later, police believe the same man robbed the Cricket store on West Cleveland Avenue in Madera and on May 19 a Subway in Chowchilla, Chiaramonte said.

The following day, Madera County sheriff’s deputies briefly pursued a car believed to have been used in the robberies. The car was later found and impounded, but that day a fourth robbery occurred at the Madera Vape Shop on West Cleveland Avenue.

In each case, the thief was extremely aggressive, grabbing victims by the hair and forcing them to the ground at gunpoint.

Barajas stands 5 feet, 10 inches and weighs 170 pounds. He is of American Indian descent, and has tattoos on his arms and torso and dark hair that recently has been cut.

Anyone with information on Barajas or any of the robberies is asked to call the Madera Police Department at 559-675-4220 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 559-498-STOP.

This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Man sought in 4 robberies in a week, including Fresno Metro PCS, is ID’d by police."