Police agencies in the Verde Valley are searching for a suspect who robbed or attempted to rob at least three locations: Two in Sedona and one in Camp Verde. The same individual may also have attempted to rob a smoke shop in Prescott Valley.
If you see this individual do not attempt to contact or detain.
The suspect first robbed the Shell gas station in Camp Verde at knifepoint, taking over $200, on Friday, July 16, at around 3:50 a.m., according to the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office.
CVMO deputies responded to the gas station, located at 1673 W. State Route 260 in Camp Verde, after receiving reports that the gas station had just been the victim of an armed robbery.
Police are searching for a suspect who robbed the Shell Station in Camp Verde at knifepoint July 16. He is a white man around 30 or 40 years old. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, a black face mask, blue jeans and white tennis shoes at the time of the robbery.
When officers arrived, they spoke with the clerk who was on duty. The employee said that an unknown man wearing a black face mask had entered the store, approached them at the counter and handed them a black bag. The suspect then showed the clerk he had a knife and demanded they fill the bag with money.
The clerk did as the robber asked and filled the bag with an undisclosed amount of cash, Lt. Stephen Butler said.
“Usually we do not give this [the amount taken] out for investigative reasons. Ballpark amount was over $200,” Butler said.
After receiving the cash they demanded, the suspect then left the store and headed east.
While describing the assailant to police, the clerk said he was a white man around 30 or 40 years old. He was wearing a dark blue hoodie, a black face mask, blue jeans and white tennis shoes at the time of the robbery.
Armed robbery is not common in Camp Verde; the last reported case was in 2018. But because police have little to go off of, they cannot say for sure at this time whether the robber was from the area or just passing through.
“We have no leads or description of the suspect to go off of. They could be from anywhere,” Butler said.
Butler said the clerk at the Shell did the right thing by giving the robber what they asked for and said it is important when faced with a situation like that to try to pay as much attention to detail as possible.
“[It’s best] for the victim[s] to not resist but become the best witness they can be. Remember the best they can of all details about the subject,” he said.
A suspect matching the same description reportedly entered the Circle K on State Route 179 in Sedona at approximately 3:25 a.m. on July 18 and demanded the store clerk to “fill the bag for the baby” i.e., money from the register.
The cashier asked him to wait outside and when the subject exited, the cashier locked the main door and called 911. The suspect paced back and forth outside appearing to trust that the cashier was still going to fill the bag.
On Monday, July 19, at approximately 6 p.m., a male subject entered the Smoke Shop on 69 at 8512 Arizona State Highway 69, Prescott Valley, and demanded money from the employee. When the cashier refused to give him any money, the subject fled the location. This case may be related.
On Saturday, July 24, at approximately 7:45 p.m. a subject matching the aforementioned description entered into the Subway restaurant in West Sedona and demanded money from the register.
Yavapai Silent Witness has put up a $600 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Camp Verde Marshal’s Office at (928) 554-8300, Detective Brandon Bergstad at the Sedona Police Department at (928) 282-3100, or Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232 or by submitting an anonymous tip online at yavapaisw.com.
