Robbery Victim Spots Suspect 11 Days Later, Leading to Arrest

A San Rafael man sitting in his car and talking on his cell phone spotted a man Friday who had robbed him at knifepoint 11 days earlier, and police made an arrest of the suspect minutes later, a police source said.

A 38-year-old man had been sitting in his car April 2 on Novato Street in the Canal area when another man approached him and asked him about scoring some drugs, Sgt. Lisa Holton said. The inquiring man then brandished a folding knife and robbed the car owner of his cell phone and wallet, which included a small amount of cash.

On Friday at about 5 p.m., the same victim was sitting in his car in almost the same location — Novato Street near Kerner Boulevard — talking on a different cell phone when he spotted the man who had robbed him. The man in the car called police, and officers approached and arrested the suspect at 5:17 p.m., Holton said. The robbery victim positively identified the suspect in part from a tattoo on the wrist.

"Just because you get away with something initially doesn't necessarily mean you'll get away with it in the long run," Holton said.

Jorge Camargo, a 19-year-old Richmond resident who has a previous address in San Rafael, was booked at Marin County Jail and faces felony charges or robbery and possession of a controlled substance.