Atwater man arrested in two armed robbery cases
A 19-year-old Atwater man was arrested Tuesday in connection with two armed robberies reported minutes apart last month at two convenience stores.
Haden McRae was arrested at home in the 1000 block of Arrowhead Lane on a warrant charging him with the robberies, Chief Samuel Joseph said.
McRae is the prime suspect in two robberies on May 18 in Atwater. A masked man in a hooded sweatshirt used a gun to rob the Valero gas station and mini-mart around 3 a.m. on East Bellevue Road. About 30 minutes later, police said, the same man robbed Circle K on Shaffer Road, also at gunpoint.
Investigators said the thief made off with about $50 in cash from one of the stores, but the total amount taken was not available Tuesday.
Joseph said he couldn’t comment on any specific evidence in the case, but credited the work of Detective Anthony Cardoza, the lead investigator in the case.
McRae remained in custody Tuesday evening at the Merced County Jail with bail set at $50,000, according to booking records.
Rob Parsons: 209-385-2482
This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Atwater man arrested in two armed robbery cases."