Tattoos Undermine Mendota Heights Man's Robbery Attempt

A 28-year-old Mendota Heights man made his first appearance in Dakota County court on July 16 after being charged with first-degree aggravated robbery.

Anthony Lawrence Rubio was taken into custody on July 2 after police say he walked into an Inver Grove Heights business, pointed a black pistol at a female employee behind the counter and demanded she open the cash register and give him the money inside.

According to a Dakota County criminal complaint, the perpetrator placed a pistol on the counter and began to take cash out of the till. The woman behind the counter noticed the name “Rubio” tattooed on the man's neck, a smiley face with stitches tattooed on the back of his head and a logo of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse tattooed on his arm. 

The owner of the business corroborated the style and placement of the tattoos.

Upon making contact with Rubio, Inver Grove Heights police noticed he had tattoos identical to those described by witnesses to the robbery.

In a post-arrest interview Rubio admitted using an unloaded pellet gun to rob the 57th Street business. He denied having threatened or intending to cause harm to anyone.  

Rubio told police he initially considered robbing another business, but that it had too many customers inside. He also claimed to have spent all of the stolen money by the time he was apprehended. 

Rubio is scheduled for an omnibus hearing on July 31. If he is convicted of first-degree aggravated robbery he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine.