BRADENTON — Police arrested a man officers say robbed a Bradenton woman at gunpoint, then fired a shot at her when she gave chase, according to a Bradenton police report.
Bradenton police officers say just before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday that Robert Arias, 21, pointed a gun at the 27-year-old victim and demanded money as she sat in her car in her garage in the 5900 block of 34th Avenue West.
Arias then snatched the woman’s purse from the car and ran to a vehicle waiting at the end of the driveway, according to the report. The victim told officers Arias had worn a mask during the robbery, but when she ran after him into the street, Arias lifted the mask and fired a shot at her.
Police later tracked Arias to a trailer where he lived, in the 3100 block of Ninth Street West, and arrested him after finding a gun and items from the robbery in the trailer. The victim also identified him as her attacker from a driver’s license photo.
After his arrest, Arias told police he knows the victim and she had first stolen from him in the past. Arias at first told police the gun went off by accident, but then later admitted he fired to scare away the victim.
Arias is being held in the Manatee County jail without bond on a charge of armed home invasion robbery. The victim was in her car parked in her garage at the time of the robbery.
— Robert Napper
Disclaimer: Story comments are intended to provide a place for constructive dialog about issues and events in our community. Your input is encouraged and can make a positive difference. To achieve this, no obscenity, personal attacks, or racial slurs are tolerated. Users brought to our attention for violating our terms of use will be blocked from commenting permanently and without notice. Please help keep the comments on topic by flagging objectionable material and remember that children and young adults may be reading your comments. With freedom of speech comes the responsibility to be respectful of others.
Email Story
Printer Friendly 
Quick Job Search
@Nyx.replyAnswerText@