A man has been arrested in connection with a series of convenience store robberies, including a 7-Eleven Wednesday morning where he used a hatchet. Cory Whipple, 37, was arrested Tuesday in connection with a 7-Eleven robbery, as well as a previous robbery on April 11. He is also being considered as a suspect in connection with a robbery that took place at a Taco Bell on April 21. Officials with Unified Police say that one of the previous robberies involved the use of a hatchet and the other involved either a hatchet or a knife.
Police were notified of the most recent robbery around 1:20 a.m. at a 7-Eleven. Whipple allegedly entered the store and produced a hatchet before demanding cash from the clerk. When the clerk refused to comply with the demands, Whipple ran out of the store and attempted to rob a second employee that was standing just outside the establishment. Whipple then ran north and got into a dark-colored Jeep Cherokee. A witness saw him get into the jeep and followed him, before eventually losing sight of the vehicle.
Later that day the Jeep was spotted sitting in the driveway of a residence by a West Valley K-9 officer. When backup arrived, police made contact with a male and female standing in the back of the driveway area, and eventually ended up arresting the pair after "conclusive video" was discovered.
Details about the woman or her potential involvement have not been made available, apart from that she was later released from police custody.
Public domain photo