tucson armed robbery

Update near bottom of post, original post directly below.

A serial armed robber has been flitting around Tucson, hitting at least nine convenience stores since June 8, according to a news release from the Tucson Police Department.

The police’s main concern is for public safety – but we have another giant worry. We fret to think the man is simply wasting his time.

Robbery should be a one-time deal if folks pick the target right. Try for the Hope Diamond or at least a bank.

This man, who mainly targets Quik Marts, evidently is not making nearly enough cash at his chosen criminal trade or he would not have to go serial about it and keep robbing again and again.

His most recent robbery was around 10 a.m. on June 23, when he hit up the Quik Mart at 6301 S. Park Ave. Mr. Robber Man simply moseyed behind the counter, aimed his handgun at the employee stationed there, and demanded all of the cash. He then fled “with an undisclosed amount of money.”

His robberies have so far included:

Quik Mart at 1140 S. Fourth Ave – June 8 at 11:47 p.m.
Quik Mart at 4477 E. Fifth St – June 15 at 5:06 p.m.
Quik Mart at 5860 E. 22nd St – June 15 at 9:07 p.m.
Quik Mart at 7667 E. Escalante Rd – June 16 at 7:59 p.m.
Shell Station at 3901 E. 22nd St – June 17 at 8:42 p.m.
Quik Mart at 745 S. Tucson Blvd – June 21 at 9:34 p.m.
Circle K at 2701 N. Oracle Rd – June 19 at 10:33 a.m.
Quik Mart at 4477 E. Fifth St – June 22 at 5:32 a.m.
Quik Mart at 6301 S. Park Ave – June 23 at 9:59 a.m.

Let’s add it up. Say he makes about $200 per haul, using a totally random guess. That gives him $1,800 for nine days of work over a three-week period. Not too shabby, but not worth the hassle of being a wanted criminal.

Besides, once we add in the all the guy’s expenses, his profit plummets dramatically.

First, there’s the cost of the handgun. A good one, even at a pawn shop, could cost him some $600. Throw in another $50 for the ammunition, assuming he bought it when prices were high during the alleged ammo shortage.

Then there’s the mileage. For the sake of argument, let’s place him in midtown, say around Grant Road and Stone Avenue. His total distance traveled to and from each robbery location tallies to about 122 miles. His car is likely something old and crummy that gets only about 10 miles per gallon. That’s about 12 gallons of gas at an estimated $2.75 per gallon, putting his gas money at $33.

Next comes clothing expenses. If a robber has any inkling of a brain, he is going to discard any clothing worn during a robbery. This includes that snazzy hat seen in one of the photos. Tally each outfit at about $50, with an additional $25 thrown in for the hat. Discarded clothing expenses come to $450.

Since it has to be increasingly stressful to keep up with the fast pace of serial armed robberies, add another $20 per day for booze and cigarettes during the three-week period, coming to $420.

A man’s gotta eat, especially to sustain enough strength to hold up a handgun. Put his food at another $20 per day for the three-week period, an additional $420.

Now that the guy’s photo and litany of robberies are plastered all over the news, include another $200 for medication to bring down his high blood pressure and soothe any heart conditions that may arise.

All told, a serial robber under such an example just spent a total of $2,173 ripping off some $1,800 at gas stations and mini marts. That puts the robber at $373 in the hole.

Heck, such a serial robber is definitely the poster child for the proverbial phrase that crime doesn’t pay. Not unless, of course, he switches targets, moving on from Quik Marts to something like the Hope Diamond.

From the TPD news release:

The suspect has been described as a black male, mid-30s to mid 50s, 5’5” to 5’09” tall, approximately 180 pounds, bald or very short hair, and some facial hair. He was last seen wearing a light colored dress shirt, dark pants or jeans, and sunglasses.

While no injuries have been reported in any of the incidents, detectives are concerned due to the suspect’s escalating aggression and propensity for violence. Anyone with information regarding the suspect’s identity is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME.

UPDATE FROM TUCSON POLICE DEPT:

Police issued an arrest warrant for Michael Manning, 51, charging him with armed robbery in connection with the serial armed robber investigation. The warrant was issued June 24.

Know where he is? Call it in: 911 or 88-CRIME.

[tnipoll]

What do you think?

Have you seen this man at a Quik Mart near you?

Would you turn him in if you did or do you feel bad he most likely did not make a profit during his stream of robberies?