PALM COAST, Fla. — A man wearing a clown mask told a gas station clerk “don’t be a hero” during a Halloween robbery before being caught in a stolen SUV in St. Augustine, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Adrian Rafael Castano, 18, of Miami, was arrested on a robbery charge following the Oct. 31 holdup at the Amoco near State Road 100 and Interstate 95.
Robber implied he had a weapon
Deputies responded around 6:22 p.m. after a masked man walked behind the counter with one hand concealed inside a black bag.
Investigators said he pointed the bag toward the clerk as though it contained a weapon and told her to “open the cash register, and don’t be a hero.”
The clerk opened the register, raised her hands and stepped back. The man grabbed the cash and register drawer before leaving in a silver Chevrolet Traverse, deputies said.
License plate alert leads to arrest
Around 7:39 p.m., license plate reader cameras alerted a St. Johns County K-9 deputy to the SUV, which had been reported stolen in Highland Beach in Palm Beach County.
The deputy stopped the vehicle in St. Augustine. Investigators said Castano was wearing clothing matching the robber’s and had cash, the Amoco’s register drawer and a matching mask inside the SUV.
Detectives also linked a hand tattoo visible in the store’s surveillance footage to Castano.
According to the sheriff’s office, video showed Castano entering the store about 16 minutes before deputies were called, briefly speaking with the clerk and leaving without buying anything. Investigators said he waited in the parking lot until other customers left before returning to rob the store.
Suspect denied taking money
Castano told detectives he knew the SUV was stolen when he took it and drove north on Interstate 95, according to the release. He denied taking money.
The sheriff’s office said Monday that Castano was being held at the St. Johns County Jail on a $100,000 bond on the Flagler County robbery charge. He also faces charges in St. Johns County.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.