Cerna Money Exchange Robbed by Armed Robber, Suspect Nabbed by Police
By: Jose G. Landa, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016
The usual peaceful and tranquil downtown Eagle Pass, Texas shopping area was disturbed on Tuesday, February 23, 2016, at approximately 1 P.M. when an armed robber entered and robbed the historic Cerna Money Exchange, located at Commercial Street, presenting a handgun and demanding an employee of the local business to hand over all the money in the cash register, startling the employee whom complied with the armed robber’s demand but not before pressing the silent alarm connected to the Eagle Pass Police Department.
The armed robber quickly fled on foot with the loot within the downtown Eagle Pass business district as the Eagle Pass Police Department quickly responded to the silent alarm.
As the Eagle Pass Police Department arrived at Cerna’s Money Exchange, witnesses pointed out the armed robber suspect to police, who chased the suspect through the downtown area and arrested the male suspect near the intersection of Main and Washington Streets.
After the male armed robber suspect was nabbed by the Eagle Pass Police Department, a search for the alleged handgun weapon ensued by local police officers in the downtown business district. Eventually, the Eagle Pass Police Department found the alleged handgun used during the armed robbery, which is a plastic toy gun. The plastic toy gun was taken into custody for evidence purposes.
Cerna Money Exchange closed for the day after the armed robbery incident. Other local downtown businesses temporarily closed their doors while local police officers were searching for the male armed robbery suspect and the handgun. Witnesses assisted the Eagle Pass Police Department in identifying the male armed robbery suspect and his subsequent arrest.
One local downtown business owner stated that he had never heard of or seen an armed robbery to a downtown Eagle Pass retail store for over 20 years. The local merchant added that this armed robbery is a sign of the hard economic times being faced by Eagle Pass and Piedras Negras residents.
The armed robbery remains under investigation by the Eagle Pass Police Department and the Texas Rangers.
