Hilmar man arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery

A Hilmar man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of trying to steal cash from a register at a fast-food restaurant.

Merced County sheriff’s deputies were called to a Hilmar McDonald’s just before 11 p.m. Wednesday after employees reported a man wearing a camouflage mask and pretending to have a gun in his pocket tried to force open a cash register.

The man fled before deputies arrived. He didn’t get any cash, and no one was reported to have been injured, deputies said. No weapons were ever found.

Deputies said they found Matthew Arthur Souza, 33, of Hilmar on Acacia Street near First Street on a mountain bike. Deputies said he had the mask in his possession and was identified by McDonald’s employees.

Souza was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and is being held at the county’s Main Jail in lieu of $65,000 bail.

This story was originally published November 26, 2015 at 12:29 PM with the headline "Hilmar man arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery."