Teen faces felony aggravated robbery charges in San Juan

SAN JUAN — A Pharr man could face life in prison after allegedly helping to rob two businesses at gunpoint in May to get rent money.

Police arrested Justin Garcia, 18, on Monday in connection with two armed robberies that took place the evening of May 20.

The first robbery was about 8 p.m. at a Subway restaurant at 700 N. "I" Road, police said.

Garcia and his friend, Irvin Garces, allegedly went into the restaurant with a shotgun, demanded money and made off with about $200 in cash, according to the criminal complaint filed against Garcia.

But Garcia somehow lost the money, Garces later told tell police.

So later that night, the two men then went to a Stripes convenience store at 2201 S. "I" Road and robbed the clerk at gunpoint, Garcia's criminal complaint reads. They took off with $11 in cash and two cases of beer.

A woman told police May 21 that she had overheard Garcia and Garces bragging about their robberies after they saw the crimes reported in the local media, according to the complaint. The two men said they robbed the businesses to get rent money and had already burned the clothes they wore during the crimes.

Police arrested Garcia on Monday at his mother's apartment in Pharr. He showed little emotion at his arraignment Tuesday as San Juan Municipal Judge Ricardo Perez read his charges.

Perez set Garcia's bond at $500,000 for two counts of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony punishable by up to life in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Garces, 20, was arrested May 22 and pleaded guilty to the robberies in September. He also pleaded guilty to an unrelated attempted murder charge and was sentenced to 8 1/2 years in prison.

Two other men accused of helping Garcia and Garces during the robberies have already been charged with aggravated robbery, said Rolando Garcia, a San Juan Police investigator.

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Jared Taylor covers law enforcement and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4439.