A spate of armed robberies hitting Bay Area gas stations has been brought to a halt with the arrest of a suspect identified by the Pinole and Daly City Police Departments. Shamari Raheem, a 35-year-old man from Oakland, was nabbed by cops on charges of robbery after eyewitnesses reported a string of thefts executed at gunpoint.

According to the Pinole Police Department, two separate incidents were reported on Tuesday, February 27, around 8:39 PM and 8:41 PM, at gas stations along Pinole Valley Road. Witnesses described the robber as a black adult male wielding a firearm, collecting cash before making his getaway in a green SUV. No injuries were reported in either of the robbery events.

The break in the case came when officers identified the suspect vehicle from traffic camera footage. The vehicle, captured earlier that evening, was a crucial lead that aided law enforcement across the Bay Area. The very next day, Daly City Police contacted Pinole authorities with information confirming the suspect's identity and linking him to additional robberies in their area.

By Wednesday evening, thanks to the collaborative efforts between the two police departments and allied agencies, Raheem was taken into custody in Daly City and booked into the San Mateo detention facility. It was later revealed that the string of robberies Raheem is accused of extended beyond Pinole and Daly City, terrorizing several cities across the Bay Area.

Law enforcement officials have praised the rapid and effective police work that led to Raheem's arrest. The harmonized action of the Pinole and Daly City Police Departments underscore the importance of inter-agency cooperation in keeping communities safe from those intent on breaking the law by force and fear.