Arrest made in string of armed robberies

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Hillsborough County deputies mad an arrest in a string of convenience store robberies this week. 

Deputies say surveillance video shows the beginning of 20-year old Trevor Gipson's quick cluster of crimes, beginning at a 7-Eleven on McMullen Road.

"Yesterday, the two robberies in the east side of the county he did within 30 minutes of each other," HCSO's Debbie Carter said Wednesday.

Hours after the robberies Tuesday, deputies released surveillance video showing the suspect's face and car, in hopes of tracking him down.

Before they apprehended him, another convenience store was hit around 1:30 a.m. Wednesday in Temple Terrace. Just about an hour later, Gipson was pulled over by Hillsborough deputies for speeding.

They say he had a suspended license and his car smelled of marijuana. A search did not turn up any drugs, but they did find a gun. They determined he was the legal owner of the gun, and then they let him go.

"They took his license, they told him, 'You need to call someone to pick you up, don't be driving again,' which he agreed to do," Carter said.

Deputies took off. Less than 30 minutes later, they say Gipson robbed a Circle K on North Dale Mabry.

Sammi Mishra owns the store. While she's disappointed Gipson wasn't stopped sooner, she says she's just glad her employee, who was held at gunpoint Wednesday morning, is okay.

"I'm so very glad that he's fine. I really thank God for him because he had a gun. It is scary. I'm really glad that he's fine," Mishra said.

Gipson was arrested about 45 minutes later in Valrico, once investigators pieced together who he was. He's now facing multiple felony counts of armed robbery.