Police arrest man in connection with St. Pete robberies

ST. PETERSBURG — Police have arrested a man they believe is responsible for a series of recent gas station robberies.

Anthony Wayne Beauford, 20, was identified through forensic evidence left inside a Sunoco station Wednesday morning at 6800 Fourth St. N, where a store clerk and a delivery driver were robbed, police said. Detectives believe Beauford is a man seen in surveillance images taken during the robbery wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and moving behind the store counter. Another man held the clerk and delivery driver at gunpoint.

Beauford was arrested Thursday afternoon during a traffic stop at the intersection of 22nd Avenue S and 34th Street, officials said.

Thus far, Beauford has only been charged in the Sunoco robbery, but authorities suspect that he and the still-unidentified second man might be behind three other gas station heists as well.

Anyone with information about any of the robberies can call Detective Wallace Pavelski at (727) 893-4823 or the tip line at (727) 892-5000.