Montavilla 7-11 robber nabbed

After he allegedly robbed both the market and a customer, find out where this gunman was captured, perhaps, with taco in hand …

This outer East Portland convenience store in the Montavilla neighborhood is the scene of not one, but two armed robberies – one right after the other.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

The clerk at the Montavilla 7-Eleven Store at SE 92nd Avenue and Stark Street realized with a shock that the man who’d walked in at 12:23 a.m. on March 7 wasn’t a customer – but an armed robber.

As soon as the suspect left the store after that holdup, the clerk called the 9-1-1 Center to report the robbery and bring Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers to the scene.

“After leaving the store, the suspect approached a customer in the parking lot the 7-Eleven, brandished the firearm, and demanded money,” recounted PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Chris Burley. “The suspect obtained an undisclosed amount of cash from the community member, and left the location.”

Police move into the area, but don’t have to look far to find the armed robbery suspect.

As the suspect strutted away from his alleged “double-score” armed robberies, he headed east, apparently not noticing that witnesses were providing his description to 9-1-1 operators, along with updates on his location.

Witnesses lead police to this Taco Bell, where the suspect is taken into custody.

“Based on the suspect description and location updates provided by community members, officers located the suspect at the Taco Bell, one block east of the 7-Eleven store, where the suspect was taken into custody without incident,” Burley said.

Even more than having the accurate description and witness tracking information for the suspect, Burley added, officers located evidence of the robberies in the possession of the suspect when he was arrested.

28-year-old Brandon Terell Phillips is facing four felony charges from his alleged robberies. MCDC booking photo

28-year-old Brandon Terell Phillips was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 5:33 a.m. that morning on Felony charges of two counts each of Robbery in the First Degree and Robbery in the Second Degree.

After his arraignment later that day in Multnomah County Court, the judge ordered Phillips to stand trial for the charges originally booked, plus an additional count of Robbery in the Second Degree, and set his combined bail at $1,000,000.

Phillips remains in custody at MCDC, held without bail, on an additional Post Prison Violation charge, related to a previous conviction of Robbery in the Second Degree.

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