Suspect in grocery store armed robbery arrested in Milford

Milford Police say, they have arrested and charged a 33-year-old Milford man stemming from an armed robbery at a local grocery store Monday.

According to detectives, Jose Garcia walked into the Market International Store on South Walnut Street and approached the store employee. Garcia then reportedly held a knife up and told the store employee, that he would kill her if she didn’t give him with all of the money in the store. She allegedly complied and gave Garcia an undisclosed amount of money. Police say, he then grabbed her by her neck and began to drag her to the back of the store, while saying that he was going to sexually assault her. As they got to the back of the store, the victim was reportedly able to break free and run out of the front door. Garcia then reportedly fled himself but was later found by police hiding in a shed behind a home on SE 2nd Street. Milford Police say they later recovered a portion of the money that Garcia had attempted to hide after the armed robbery.

While in custody at the Milford Police Department, Garcia reportedly tried to escape the holding cell through the ventilation system in the ceiling. He also reportedly attempted to make weapons out of items in the holding cell in order to use to attack police when they enter the holding cell. Milford Police took custody of the weapons prior to Garcia being able use them.

Garcia was also wanted on active warrants from Milford Police for failure to verify as a registered sex offender and was also had active warrants by Georgetown Police.

Garcia was charged with first degree robbery, possession of a deadly weapon during the commission of a felony, second degree kidnapping, aggravated menacing, possession of a deadly weapon by person prohibited, tampering with physical evidence, second degree attempted escape, terroristic threatening, third degree assault, and criminal mischief under $1000. He is being held in default of $104,250 cash bond.