Tucson police have arrested a suspect in two armed robberies, in which he's accused of pepper spraying store clerks and threatening a security guard with a knife, officials said.
Christopher Higgins, 34, has been booked into the Pima County jail in connection with charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of aggravated robbery, three counts of aggravated assault and unlawful use of a means of transportation, according to a Tucson Police Department news release.
Earlier this month, two men wearing masks went into the Arizona Cyclist shop, located at 5350 East Broadway, and told employees they were robbing the store. The suspects pepper-sprayed three employees behind the front counter and rode out of the store on two electric bicycles, each worth more than $5,000, the release said.
Robbery detectives were able to identify one of the suspects as Higgins and link him to a January incident at the Kay Jewelers at the Park Place Mall, according to the release.
Higgins is accused of running out of the store with a ring worth several thousand dollars. A store employee and security guard attempted to chase Higgins, but he pulled out a knife and threatened them, the release said.
Higgins ran into a nearby neighborhood and police were not able to locate him that evening, according to the release.
Once detectives identified Higgins as the suspect in both incidents, officers began looking for him and found him driving a stole car in the area of East 29th Street and South Craycroft Road. Higgins was taken into custody without incident, the release said.
Police are still trying to identify the second suspect in the Arizona Cyclist incident. He's described as 5'10" to 6'0" tall and weighing 200 to 230 pounds. At the time of the robbery, he was wearing a black shirt, white or gray athletic shorts and a tan beanie. Anyone with information is asked to call 911 of 88-CRIME, an anonymous tipster hotline.
