Arrest made in Walmart armed robbery

A suspect has been charged in the armed robbery last night of about 700 rounds of ammunition from Walmart.

Raul Armondo Placenio, 33, is charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, misconduct with a weapon, misconduct with body armor, discharging a firearm in the city of Maricopa and endangerment.

Maricopa police responded at 9:34 p.m. to a weapons offense at the department store, located at Maricopa Casa Grande Highway and Porter Road. While en route to the store, the incident was upgraded to armed robbery.

Placenio brandished a 9 mm semi-automatic hand gun and attempted to flee the scene with the ammunition.

Numerous rounds were left in the parking lot, and it was undetermined how many the suspect had taken. The suspect fired one round in the parking lot for unknown reasons prior to law enforcement’s arrival and fled the area. Placenio was later identified and found at 36000 W. Barcelona Lane.

Due to the circumstances of the incident, the Pinal County Regional SWAT Team was called for assistance. Upon their arrival, the suspect was taken into custody without further incident or injuries. Placenio was booked into the Pinal County Jail.

Maricopa police were assisted by nearby agencies, the DPS Auto Theft Task Force and U.S. Border Patrol. An investigation continues.