POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A Davenport man is accused of robbing two 7-Elevens in two different counties over the course of two hours, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Deputies say the investigation started when they were called just after 5 a.m. on March 10 to the 7-Eleven at the intersection of Lake Wilson Road and Ronald Reagan Parkway in Davenport. It had been robbed.
The sheriff's office reported a man pointed a gun at an employee and "demanded" money and Newport cigarettes. Once he got both, he left and headed northbound on Lake Wilson Road, according to the agency.
During the investigation, detectives say they learned a similar robbery took place around 3 a.m. at a 7-Eleven on Osceola-Polk Line Road in Osceola County.
Investigators say they noticed an "obvious" tattoo on the suspected robber from surveillance photos. Investigators say they also found a fingerprint at the scene that belonged to 28-year-old Victor Santana Ramos.
Detectives arrested Santana Ramos on March 16.
The sheriff's office says during an interview with detectives, Santana Ramos denied the allegations, "saying that he is too smart to rob gas stations so close to his residence." The agency said when detectives showed him a photo of one of his tattoos during the robbery, he told them, "I'm guilty, you got me."
Detectives say during a search of Santana Ramos' home they found cartons of Newport cigarettes and clothes from the robbery. According to the sheriff's office, when deputies spoke to Santana Ramos before his arrest, he had a gun tucked in his waistband which resembled the gun used in the robbery.
In addition to that gun, deputies say they found another gun at his home during the search.
"This guy said he was too smart to do something like this, but our evidence proved him wrong. A detective said that when they showed him the photo of his tattoo, Victor physically deflated. He knew he was busted," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
"Fortunately in Florida, when you are caught committing an armed robbery, you are subject to a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years. We look forward to him being held accountable for terrorizing these convenience store clerks.”
Santana Ramos is charged with robbery with a firearm, armed burglary with assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and carrying a concealed firearm. These charged only relate to the Polk County armed robbery, the sheriff's office said.
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