Two arrested as suspects in month’s worth of armed robberies around Fresno, sheriff says

Two people have been arrested in Fresno, suspected in a half-dozen armed robberies that took place at convenience stores in January.

Ben Maldonado, 27, and Connie Contreras, 28, were arrested on Tuesday after detectives with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office conducted a “high-risk vehicle takedown” at a Days Inn Motel.

Evidence from several of the armed robberies was found inside two cars, as well as in a motel room, according to a statement Friday from the sheriff’s office.

Property crimes detectives were alerted to the pair through surveillance footage near a 7-Eleven on Ashlan Avenue that had been robbed on Jan. 20. The video showed a dark-colored Chevy Cobalt that detectives believed was used in the robbery.

At the same time, the Fresno Police Department was investigating a pair of similar robberies that took place at 7-Eleven stores earlier in the month. The agencies believed the crimes were committed by the same suspects. Three additional robberies during the last week of January were also linked to the pair, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives found the Chevy Cobalt along with a second car, which had been reported stolen, at the Day’s Inn Motel on Second Street in Fresno on Tuesday.

Maldonado and Contreras were arrested tying to leave in the two cars.

The sheriff’s office is still looking for information on anyone who may be involved in these cases. Those with information can contact detectives at 559-600-8061. They can also call the Fresno Police at 559-621-2081 or 559-621-2083 or Crime Stoppers to remain anonymous.