PHOENIX (AP) - Authorities say they have arrested a suspect in a string of restaurant holdups around the Phoenix metro area.
A Phoenix police spokesman said Friday that 23-year-old Christian Contreras has been arrested and booked on 18 counts of armed robbery. The arrest came after weeks of interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence and collaborating with other law enforcement agencies to identify the suspect.
It was not immediately clear if Contreras had an attorney.
During the robberies that occurred from Feb. 6-26, the suspect typically entered each restaurant posing as a customer. When a restaurant employee opened the cash register, the suspect would pull out a handgun, jump over the counter and grab money from the register before fleeing.
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