OAKLAND — A parolee who said he was unemployed and needed money for drugs has been charged in 10 robberies and attempted robberies of businesses from Oakland to San Lorenzo between March and June and is suspected of other holdups, according to authorities and court documents.
Andrew Ceniceros Jr., 51, who has three felony convictions going back to 1991, is charged with seven counts of second-degree robbery and three of attempted second degree robbery, according to court documents.
The charges result from seven Oakland robberies and an attempted robbery from March 30 to June 30 at two drug stores, a fast food restaurant, an ice cream parlor, a bakery and three Montclair district businesses, including a Safeway market, shoe store and greeting card shop.
He is also charged in a June 30 attempted robbery at a U.S. Bank branch located in a Castro Valley supermarket, and a June 27 robbery at a San Lorenzo cellphone store.
He is also suspected in robberies in Hayward, Berkeley and San Leandro and possibly other cities, authorities said.
According to authorities and documents, the robber would enter the businesses at various times of the day, approach an employee and act as if he wanted to make a purchase. Once a cash register was opened the suspect would display a gun — which Ceniceros later said was a pellet gun — and demand money, according to the documents.
In the attempted bank robbery, the suspect gave a teller a note demanding money but for some reason fled before getting any loot.
Authorities said the average loss in each successful robbery was a few hundred dollars. Some of the robberies were captured on video surveillance and no one was ever injured.
Ceniceros’ downfall began after a state parole agent notified the sheriff’s office on July 4 that he recognized Ceniceros from fliers distributed after the robberies. Ceniceros, who had been released from prison in June 2017 after serving a term for robbery, was already wanted for violating parole.
Authorities said Ceniceros was living out of a van in the 3900 block of Edgemoor Place in Oakland. Deputies spotted him there July 5, and he was arrested after he got out of the van and drove off in a car that had been used in one of the Oakland robberies. Clothing Ceniceros was wearing during some of the robberies was found in the van and car, according to documents.
In a subsequent confession, he admitted to investigators from various agencies that his addiction to heroin and crack cocaine and being unemployed was his motivation for the robberies, according to authorities and court documents.
He is being held without bail at Santa Rita Jail and is scheduled to enter a plea to the charges July 24.