A suspect matching the description of a man who robbed Togo’s at
knife-point last month was arrested in Arroyo Grande several weeks
ago and is being investigated for a string of armed robberies on
the Central Coast. Hollister police, however, have not confirmed
the assailants are one and the same.
Hollister – A suspect matching the description of a man who robbed Togo’s at knife-point last month was arrested in Arroyo Grande several weeks ago and is being investigated for a string of armed robberies on the Central Coast. Hollister police, however, have not confirmed the assailants are one and the same.
Barry Fibiger is being investigated as a possible suspect for at least eight armed robberies at businesses including sandwich shops, a 99 cent store and tanning salons that began on Sept. 7 in San Luis Obispo, according to a written statement issued by the Paso Robles Police Department.
Investigators with police departments in Paso Robles, Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande, Pismo Beach and San Luis Obispo have been working together to develop leads into the robberies, according to the statement.
Hollister Police Capt. Richard Vasquez said a local detective has been in contact with the Arroyo Grande department to determine if there’s a connection with Fibiger and the man who robbed Togo’s on Sept. 21.
“It’s too early to say (it’s him),” Vasquez said. “We’ll let the investigation go where it leads.”
Fibiger was arrested on Oct. 5 in Arroyo Grande after police discovered the New Mexico license plate on a vehicle he was driving had been reported stolen, according to the statement.
After he was arrested police found seven additional stolen license plates in the trunk of the vehicle, along with evidence that could link Fibiger to the robberies, according to the statement.
Hollister Togo’s employees described the assailant who stole money out of the cash register as being a white or light-skinned Hispanic male, 6 foot to 6 foot 3 inches tall, with a thin build wearing either a black ski mask or beanie with sunglasses. He was also wearing a long trench coat with silver buttons and was armed with a large knife, according to the police report.
Employees told police the suspect made them go to the back of the store and stay there until he left, according to police.
Paso Robles police Sgt. Robert Burton said seven Paso Robles businesses were robbed in September by a man described as being a white male, approximately 6 feet tall wearing a dark beanie and trench coat.
During a Paso Robles yogurt shop robbery, the suspect made the clerk walk to the back of the store and stay in a back room after demanding money from the cash register, according to a written statement.
Burton said he was not aware of any robberies in Hollister and has not been in contact with Hollister police yet, but would be in contact with them “if there are other robberies out there this person might be involved in.”
Fibiger also has two federal warrants for his arrest from Wisconsin, where he escaped from a detention facility, Burton said.
“We’re still in investigation mode,” he said. “We might be charging him with those crimes… He has not been arrested for any robberies, just the stolen vehicle.”
