The suspect in a March 9 armed robbery in West Hartford, as well as several other armed robberies was arrested by West Hartford Police late Thursday night.

Christopher Franco. Photo courtesy of West Hartford Police

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Police took a man into custody late Thursday night who is the suspect in the robbery earlier that morning of Troy’s Mobil in West Hartford, and also matches the description of the suspect in the Feb. 28 armed robbery of the Shell gas station on Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, two armed robberies in Wethersfield, and one armed robbery in Manchester that occurred earlier in March.

According to Det. Sgt. Tony Anderle, West Hartford Police arrested Christopher Franco, 24, at 11:30 p.m. Thursday in Hartford. West Hartford Police worked with other police agencies to identify the suspect and obtain a search warrant for the motel room where Franco, who was homeless, was believed to be staying.

Franco was in possession of a handgun when he was arrested, and police also found evidence of other crimes.

Franco is a convicted felon, police said. Court records indicated that he was convicted on burglary charges from a 2012 incident.

In their report of the arrest, police also released additional information about Thursday’s armed robbery. They said that a male suspect, believed to be Franco, entered the convenience store at Troy’s Mobil at 2507 Albany Ave., held a gun to the clerk’s head, and ordered him to hand over the contents of two cash drawers. The suspect the ordered the clerk to come out from behind the counter and withdraw cash from an ATM machine in the store, police said.

The suspect ordered the clerk into the bathroom and then fled, police said.

Franco has been charged with first-degree robbery, carrying a gun without a permit, second-degree larceny, sixth-degree larceny, conspiracy to commit robbery and larceny, criminal possession of a firearm, and second-degree kidnapping with a firearm.

He is being held on $1 million bond and due in court on Friday. Arrest warrants for other crimes are pending, police said.

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