A man suspected of committing more than 30 robberies all over the Bay Area has been arrested, San Mateo County officials announced Monday.
Ricky Sanders, a 34-year-old Oakland resident, was arrested Nov. 7 after two law enforcement agencies simultaneously identified him as a suspect in two Petsmart robberies–one on Oct. 30 in San Jose and another on Oct. 8 in San Mateo in which a clerk was shot.
Sanders was arrested in Alameda County and remains in custody, San Mateo County officials said.
Authorities said Sanders is a suspect in dozens of armed robberies dubbed the “Chrome Revolver Bandit” series for the trademark weapon used in the crimes.
Investigators believe that the series involved more than 30 robberies in cities including San Francisco, San Jose, Daly City, Redwood City, Fremont, and San Leandro, according to San Mateo County officials. The crimes occurred throughout this year.
After discovering similarities in how the robberies were carried out and in the suspect descriptions, investigators from multiple jurisdictions formed a task force to identify a suspect.
While investigating the Oct. 30 armed robbery at the Petsmart in San Jose, police collected a fingerprint that led them to identify Sanders as a suspect, San Mateo County officials said.
San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said this morning that Sanders is being held in Alameda County on a parole violation and that the crimes remain under investigation.
Wagstaffe said charges have not yet been filed, but that San Mateo County prosecutors will be the first to do so once the investigations wrap up.
Patricia Decker, Bay City News
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