The second time is not a charm.

Shortly after 8:00 p.m. Monday, December 23, 2024, a man entered the 7-Eleven on South 4th Street in El Centro. The man displayed a firearm, demanded cash and then fled from the store. During the investigation into the robbery, detectives were able to view surveillance video from a nearby business. They were able to determine that the suspect matched the description of an armed robbery suspect reported on December 10, 2024, at the Patriot Gas station just across the street from 7-Eleven. The video also showed a vehicle possibly used in the crimes. On Christmas Eve officers are able to conduct a traffic stop near 4th and Hamilton and detain the driver, Luis Enrique Espinoza, 30, a resident of El Centro. 

Espinoza confessed to both robberies. A search warrant was executed at his residence and that led to the discovery of firearms and cash connected to both robberies. Espinoza was booked into Imperial County Jail on a variety of charges related to the robberies.