Sheriff’s deputies catch armed robber

Pinal County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Eric V. Orcelletto, the suspect in this afternoon’s armed robbery of the CVS/pharmacy in Maricopa, around 5 p.m. today.

According to Lt. Scott Elliott, Orcelletto, pictured at right, was returning to Maricopa from Casa Grande when officers made contact with him by cell phone. The suspect’s last known address was his mother’s house in Phoenix, and with her and the Phoenix Police Department’s help, Sheriff’s deputies acquired the suspect’s cell phone number.

Deputies arrested him on SR347 at Louis Johnson Road without incident.

Elliott said Orcelleto made it to Casa Grande after the robbery, which occurred about 1 p.m. (see related story), despite being vehicle-less due to a car accident he was involved in a couple weeks earlier. There he rented a truck from Enterprise Rent-a-Car before returning to Maricopa. Officers did not immediately know why the suspect rented a truck and returned to Maricopa.

Orcelleto, a former employee of the store, was living with a friend in The Villages at Rancho El Dorado at the time of the incident. Officers obtained a search warrant for the property at 20000 North block of Marquez Drive and are currently attempting to recover the weapon and clothing used during the crime.

Orcelleto was arrested on armed robbery charges, and Elliott said he was “sure there would be others once detectives do their interviews.”