Gas Station Gunman Caught Months After Robbery Thanks to Public Tips

A Distinctive Jersey Leads to an Arrest

On April 24, 2026, an armed man wearing an orange Denver Broncos jersey walked into the Murphy USA gas station at 10261 Alameda Ave. near Rio Vista Road in Socorro, Texas — and made a decision that would ultimately cost him his freedom. The jersey, it turned out, was one of the most identifiable details in the case, and it set off a months-long investigation that ended with a suspect in handcuffs.

At approximately 12:23 a.m., officers with the Socorro Police Department were dispatched to the Murphy USA on the 10300 block of Alameda for a report of an aggravated robbery. During the incident, police say a male suspect entered the business, displayed a handgun, and demanded money from the cash register. The employee complied with the suspect's demands, and the suspect fled the business in a black two-door Mercedes-Benz.

The Broncos Jersey That Made Him Memorable

The robber was described as having dark hair, about 5 feet 9 inches tall with a medium build, between 20 and 25 years old, and was wearing a black jacket, an orange Denver Broncos jersey with the number 94, and a blue face covering over the bottom of his face. The partial disguise covered his features, but the bold orange jersey with a specific number was a detail that stuck — and one that the public would later help connect to a real name.

The incident was featured as the Crime of the Week by Crime Stoppers of El Paso. Following the feature, investigators received information from the public that assisted in furthering the investigation and identifying the suspect. That community response proved to be the turning point in the case.

Suspect Identified and Tracked Down

Investigators with the Socorro Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division, along with the Texas Rangers, identified the suspect as 22-year-old Christopher Aaron Olivas. An arrest warrant was obtained, with bond set at $75,000.

On September 18, police said Olivas was located at a construction site in the 1500 block of Michelangelo Drive in East El Paso, with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division and the Texas Rangers. Nearly five months had passed since the robbery, but a coordinated effort across multiple law enforcement agencies closed the gap.

A Reminder of What Community Tips Can Accomplish

Socorro Police Chief Robert C. Rojas credited both the public and his agency's law enforcement partners for making the arrest possible. "This arrest demonstrates the importance of strong partnerships between law enforcement agencies and our community. Information provided by the public, combined with the coordinated investigative efforts and dedication of everyone involved, played an important role in bringing this investigation to a successful conclusion. I want to thank the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division, the Texas Rangers, Crime Stoppers of El Paso, Inc., and the members of our community who came forward with information. Their assistance and continued partnership are essential to keeping our communities safe," said Chief Rojas.

The case is a textbook example of how a single distinctive detail — in this case, a numbered sports jersey — can anchor a public appeal and ultimately crack a case. For communities dealing with unsolved crimes, the Socorro arrest reinforces a simple truth: someone almost always knows something. The question is whether they come forward. In this case, they did, and a suspect who thought he had gotten away was picked up at a job site nearly five months later. As the case moves toward prosecution, the $75,000 bond signals that authorities are treating this as a serious felony matter.