Police arrest two Fresno men suspected in gas station and convenience store robberies

Two men have been arrested on suspicion of committing a string of armed robberies in northeast and southwest Fresno on Valentine’s Day.

The men, 19-year Ernesto Tavarez and 24-year old Erick Alvarez, both of Fresno, are suspected of robbing two gas stations on North Blackstone Avenue (a Valero and a Chevron) and the Evergreen Market on Elm Avenue. The robberies happened between 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, according to a news release from the Fresno Police Department.

Both suspects were armed with handguns and stole an unknown amount of money.

The men were identified through physical and video evidence and taken into custody by the department’s Street Violence Bureau Tactical Team on Saturday. Search warrants served at their residences found two handguns and physical evidence related to the robberies, police said.

The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office has filed charges on all three cases, police said.

This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 3:40 PM.