BENTONVILLE — A Rogers man pleaded not guilty Monday to robbing a Rogers convenience store.
Osvaldo Espinoza, 23, is charged with aggravated robbery, a Class Y felony and theft of property, a Class A misdemeanor. He entered the plea at his arraignment before Circuit Judge Brad Karren.
The arraignment was conducted via video with Espinoza in the courtroom at the Benton County Jail.
Espinoza was arrested Aug. 3. According to a probable cause affidavit, Rogers police received 911 call at 12:26 a.m. Aug. 2 about an armed robbery at the E-Z Mart at 723 N. 13th St.
A witness called 911 saying there was an armed masked man at the store counter. The robber ran out of the store while the witness was on the telephone with a police dispatcher, according to court documents.
Store clerk Jonathan Clark said a man armed with a shotgun entered the business and demanded all of the money in the register and stole $90, according to the affidavit released Wednesday.
Rogers police released photographs of the masked suspect and later received an anonymous tip Espinoza was the robber. Espinoza 's parents came to the Police Department on Tuesday and saw photographs of the suspect and identified him as their son, according the affidavit.
Espinoza 's father said he had bought the shirt his son was wearing in the photographs, the affidavit states. The parents also said they saw Facebook messages in which their son was talking about committing a robbery, according to the affidavit.
Police found a BB rifle, a white pin-striped jersey and a black windbreaker that appear to match what the robber was wearing during the robbery.
Espinoza confessed to police to admitting the armed robbery, but described it as “drunken stupid mistake” and said he used the $90 to buy marijuana, according to court documents.
Espinoza was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with a $150,000 bond set.