Machete-wielding man arrested for string of Maryvale cell phone store robberies: police

Man accused of robbing Phoenix cellphone stores with machete, pepper spray

A Phoenix man is behind bars for allegedly robbing four cell phone stores in Maryvale while wielding a machete and pepper spray, Phoenix police said.

PHOENIX - A Phoenix man is behind bars for allegedly robbing four cell phone stores in Maryvale while wielding a machete and pepper spray, Phoenix police said.

David Gutierrez is accused of robbing two Cricket Wireless stores and two T-Mobile stores in the area.

In each case, Gutierrez would enter the store with a machete and demand money before forcing the employees to go in either the back room or the bathroom, locking them in.

Phoenix officers tracked the missing phones to an area near 23rd Avenue and Bell Road, where they found him in a car with another woman.

Gutierrez reportedly admitted to police that he committed all the robberies and was able to describe details about the crimes, including where they happened, what weapons were used and how many employees were in each store.

He faces multiple armed robbery and kidnapping charges.