2 accused of market robbery, attempted Home Depot robbery in Porterville

PORTERVILLE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Two men who are connected to a robbery at a market in Porterville and an attempted robbery at Home Depot that was closed on Tuesday were arrested, police said.

According to officers, the two men who were arrested are 32-year-old Cody Smith and 33-year-old Julian Garcia.

Police were dispatched on July 8 at 12:30 a.m. to the Sunrise Handy Market located at 415 West Poplar Ave., regarding a robbery. Around the same time, officers were dispatched to the Home Depot, located at 750 South Jaye St., regarding suspicious circumstances.

After talking to employees at the Sunrise Handy Market, officers learned that a man dressed in dark clothing, gloves and a mask entered the store and brandished a gun. The man demanded money, and after he received it, he exited the store and entered a silver-colored sedan. The vehicle was driven by another man.

As the robbery at the market was being investigated, officers at the Home Depot were told by employees that a man had knocked on the doors of the business. The man who was wearing dark clothes, gloves and a mask told employees to open the door. Due to the business being closed, the employees didn’t open the doors and called the police.

Police said they determined the suspect fled the store in a silver sedan and then drove to Sunrise Handy Market.

During further investigation, police were able to identify the suspect vehicle and later found it parked and unoccupied.

Later that day, at around 8:10 a.m., detectives saw two men enter the suspect vehicle and drive away. They initiated a high-risk stop on the vehicle, but the driver did not yield and police said they fled in a reckless manner.

After a short pursuit, the driver, who had been identified as Smith, stopped the vehicle in a parking lot, where he and Garcia fled.

Detectives and Evidence Technicians conducted a search of the suspect vehicle and recovered evidence that linked Smith to the armed robbery at Sunrise Handy Market and the attempted robbery at the Home Depot.

As the investigation progressed, detectives identified the second suspect as Garcia.

Both men were booked at the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office South County Detention Facility.