One man turns himself in after committing five armed robberies of smoke shops in three northwest Valley cities.
Police report that between February and April, 20-year-old Jacob Sutton and 23-year-old Paul Rohrbacher, robbed smoke shops in El Mirage, Surprise, and Peoria, getting about $4,000 in cash and products.
The men wore 'black and white masks' that they made themselves, cutting holes in a shirt. They reportedly used a black handgun and a hammer to smash display cases to get the products.
A fingerprint left at the scene of a robbery at a Peoria smoke shop matched up with Sutton. Police began researching social media and discovered a photo of Sutton, "holding a large stack of cash up to his face, with his eyes closed."
Police say other social media photos showed resumes for Sutton and another man Paul Austin Rohrbacher. A location was found for Rohrbacher. In talking with neighbors, police learned the pair had just returned from Mexico.
On April 12, Sutton walked into the Surprise police station to confess. He reportedly told police that in one robbery they stole $500 from a family with children and, "he began to realize it was a major incident, one in which he believed he might be shot for."
Sutton said all but one of the stolen items was sold. He said, they used the money for a trip to Rocky Point and also spent it on "weed and hookers."
One of the stolen items and the masks were located by police in Rohrbacher's car following his arrest on April 14.
They have been booked into jail for armed robbery, aggravated assault, and kidnapping.
