Palo Alto Robbery Suspect Arrested, Connected To Other Incidents

PALO ALTO, CA — Police arrested a suspect who committed multiple robberies in sandwich and ice cream shops in the Bay Area across multiple counties in recent weeks, authorities announced on Friday.

Investigators believe Justin Michael Tucker, 30, committed as many as 13 armed robberies, six of which took place in Subway stores in San Jose, according to the San Jose Police Department.

Tucker was arrested on Wednesday in San Jose by the U.S. Marshals and the San Jose Police Department’s Robbery Unit. San Jose authorities did not announce the total charges against Tucker.

Earlier this week, police said that Tucker committed similar robberies at a Subway in Redwood City and a Baskin Robbins in Palo Alto. In both cases, a suspect ordered food before pulling a handgun at an employee and demanding cash.

According to police, Tucker also committed robberies in Milpitas, Fremont and Union City. Multiple Bay Area law enforcement agencies had been working for months to determine a suspect in the string of robberies, police said.

The San Jose Police Department's Robbery Unit and the Campbell Police Department were able to identify the suspect, according to a news release.

Tucker was booked at Santa Clara County’s main jail.

"I'm extremely thankful for the collaboration between our law enforcement partners to bring an end to this crime spree that preyed upon small local businesses, many of which were already struggling during the pandemic,” said San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata in a news release. “Our investigations, close partnership with our neighboring agencies, and dedicated work by assigned Officers was tenacious and ultimately led to this suspect's arrest."