A man who was wanted for a string of armed coffee stand robberies in Clackamas County last month has been arrested while attempting to burglarize a bank while the location was closed.
Michael Robert Frias, 38, was arrested early on the morning of February 1 while allegedly attempting to break into the night drop box at the Oregonians Credit Union in the 19000 block of Molalla Avenue in Oregon City.
Officers were responding to an alarm call, according to a Facebook post by Oregon City Police. Frias was lodged at the Clackamas County Jail on multiple charges including second-degree burglary, attempted assault on a public safety officer, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Then, police investigating the case say they were able to link Frias to a string of armed robberies that occurred over the course of January 15, in which a masked man walked up to Black Rock Coffee on Molalla Avenue and Dutch Bros on Main Street in Oregon City and Keller’s Coffee on Highway 213 in Mulino, showed a gun to baristas and demanded cash.
It was later determined the suspect also burglarized the Oregon City Fred Meyer gas station early the following morning.
The suspect wore dark clothing and a distinctive black motorcycle helmet, adorned with an X marked in white tape and black mesh to obscure his face, similar to a fencing helmet or the sinister masks worn by guards in the hit Netflix survival drama Squid Game.
Police did not say how much Frias allegedly made away with in last month’s spree.
In addition to the earlier charges, Frias was indicted last week by a Clackamas County grand jury for first-degree robbery, strangulation, second-degree burglary, first-degree criminal mischief, first-degree criminal mistreatment, two additional counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree theft and six counts of menacing.
He remains in the custody of the Clackamas County Jail, with bail set at $400,000. Anyone with information relevant to this case is asked to please contact the Oregon City Police at 503-905-3505.
