Suspect Apprehended by Allentown Police in Connection with Five Store Robberies
- Lori Lee WGOLV
- Jul 21, 2023
- 2 min read
ALLENTOWN, PA-Allentown police have apprehended a suspect believed to be responsible for a string of five strong-arm robberies that occurred within the city this month, as per a press release.
Cristhian Valerio-Vidal, a 21-year-old resident of the 1200 block of Chew Street in Allentown, was taken into custody without incident on Tuesday while walking near 10th and Hamilton streets, according to authorities.
Valerio-Vidal was arraigned the same night on multiple charges, including five counts each of robbery and receiving stolen property, as well as a single count of making terroristic threats. Due to his inability to post the $100,000 bail, he was remanded to Lehigh County jail.
The series of strong-arm robberies took place between July 5 and July 17, with all incidents being captured on surveillance video. Investigators were able to partially identify the robber's face during the crimes, and they noticed that the suspect consistently wore the same sneakers in five of the robberies and the same pants in four of them.
Authorities have accused Valerio-Vidal of entering various stores and demanding cash from the register in each case. The following incidents have been attributed to him:
July 5, 1:29 p.m., Abe's Cold Beer at 418 N. 15th St.: The robber took an undisclosed amount of cash before fleeing the scene on foot.
July 10, 6:47 p.m., Lite Smoke Shop at 1249 Liberty St.: The robber made multiple threats to shoot the clerk and escaped with approximately $200 in cash.
July 14, 6:06 p.m., JJ Thread at 1302 Chew St.: The robber took two pairs of sneakers and two boxer shorts after being informed that there was no cash in the store.
July 15, 3:26 p.m., Tumer Street Market and Deli at 1401 Turner St.: The robber fled with approximately $400 in cash.
July 17, 9:38 p.m., A-1 Gas at 1247 Turner St.: The robber displayed the handle of a black handgun and fled with around $300 in cash.
Police employed facial recognition software to identify Valerio-Vidal as a suspect based on a photo extracted from the surveillance footage. Additionally, a witness positively identified him from a photo lineup, further supporting the case against him, according to the police department.