Police arrest two after robberies, crash with officer in central Fresno

A man police say made two armed robbery attempts within 40 minutes was taken into custody Thursday afternoon after he collided with a police vehicle in central Fresno.

Martin Barajas, 30, who Lt. Carl McKnight said has a history of drug sales, was arrested along with Brittney Manzo, 24, who was believed to be driving a Honda Civic that crashed into the police truck at East Princeton Avenue and North First Street.

The crash took place shortly after noon. McKnight said that police learned about 11:30 a.m. that a man with a heavily tattooed face tried to pull off an armed robbery at North Blackstone and East Griffith avenues about 11:20 a.m. But apparently, there were too many people in the store, so the suspect walked out and got into a gold Honda with a woman at the wheel.

About 40 minutes later, a store owner at East Belmont Avenue and North Fresno Street flagged down officers to report that he had been robbed.

Officers spotted a Honda that matched the suspect vehicle on East Olive Avenue and began to follow it. The Honda eventually got on northbound Highway 41, passing cars on the shoulder to elude police, before exiting on Shields Avenue. The driver got to Princeton and First before colliding with an undercover officer in an unmarked truck. The officer was slightly injured, and Barajas was taken to the hospital after complaining of back pain.

McKnight said that inside the Honda, officers found the till from the cash register at the Belmont store, along with a sawed-off shotgun.

This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 2:08 PM.