Armed robbery interrupted when officer visits 7-Eleven, California police say

A police officer broke up an armed robbery at a convenience store early Monday by coincidence, California police say.

Officer Reymundo Pena visited a 7-Eleven store at 12:55 a.m., interrupting a robbery in progress, police in Oceanside, California, wrote in a news release posted to Facebook.

A customer showed a gun to the clerks, demanding money and merchandise, police wrote. When Pena entered the store, the robber ran away.

Pena gave chase, finding cash and merchandise abandoned by the fleeing robber, and notified dispatchers, police wrote.

After the robber scaled a fence into a school bus yard, Pena helped other officers set up a perimeter and begin a search, according to the release. Drones and a police K-9 assisted.

Officers arrested Francisco Javier Rodriquez, 26, of Chula Vista, on suspicion of the robbery, police wrote.

This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 12:35 PM with the headline "Armed robbery interrupted when officer visits 7-Eleven, California police say."