Man Accused Of Robbing Local Business, Stealing Phone

An El Paso man has been charged with two counts of aggravated robbery from two separate incidents on New Years Day.

Police said Benito Flores, 48, entered a Radio Shack at 222 North Mesa Street in central El Paso at 5:25 p.m. Saturday.

According to police, Flores used box cutters to remove items on display and then exited the store without paying. Employees confronted him outside the store and Flores threatened them with the box cutter before dropping the items and fleeing the scene.

Police said they were called to the nearby De Soto Hotel 15 minutes later regarding a disturbance. Investigation revealed Flores had fled the Radio Shack and entered the De Soto Hotel where he borrowed another man’s cell phone. When the man went to get his cell phone back from Flores, police said he was threatened with the box cutter.

Officers recovered both the cell phone and the box cutter.

Flores was arrested for two counts of aggravated robbery and booked into the El Paso County Jail on bonds totaling $50,225.