Tulsa Man To Stand Trial For String Of Convenience Store Robberies

A Tulsa man has been returned to Tulsa County to face charges in a string of convenience store robberies last summer. Oscar Elio Garcia Jr. was brought to Tulsa Monday from a Lawton Correctional Facility where he is serving time on other convictions.

Police say Garcia, 25, stole two different cars from two separate QuikTrip locations in July of 2013.

Garcia went into the QT at 10310 East 11th Street and demanded the clerk's car keys, court documents say. The clerk handed over the keys to a 2002 Mitsubishi Galant while activating the store's panic alarm.

Garcia reportedly then drove the stolen car to the QuikTrip at 9555 South Riverside where he took an unattended Kia Sorento, according to prosecutors.

According to court documents, before taking either car Garcia had stopped off at the QuikTrip at 1302 South Garnett Road where he took $30 in cash from the register while the attendant was busy.

"It was later learned through further investigation that Garcia traveled to Okmulgee, Oklahoma where he was positively identified as the robbery suspect of a convenience store and is currently wanted for said robbery," the arresting officer said in an affidavit of probable cause.

Butler County, Kansas authorities arrested Garcia that same day in the stolen Kia Sorento, according to police.

He has past convictions for assault and battery, second degree burglary, drug possession, second degree robbery, violation of a protection order and carrying a weapon unlawfully. Garcia is being held without bond.