Braintree Man Charged with Robbing Canton Gas Station

CANTON, MA - A Braintree man was arrested last week after allegedly robbing gas stations in Braintree and Canton.

Manuel Pagan, 45, was arrested and charged with armed robbery, threatening to commit a crime, and assault with a dangerous weapon, according to the Braintree Police Log

Officers were called to the gas station shortly after 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 4, according to Police Chief Russ Jenkins. While there, police learned that a vehicle pulled up to a pump and after a brief conversation with the attendant, the driver allegedly approached him from behind with a large knife. Pagan allegedly demanded money while threatening to kill him.

Pagan received the money, but repeatedly made threatening gestures and swung wildly with the knife while attempting to push the attendant into the attendant’s shack between the gas pumps. A struggle ensued between the two men which ended after the attendant broke free and the suspect drove off.

During the robbery investigation, police were made aware of a similar robbery in Canton involving a second vehicle. The registration for the vehicle in the Canton incident belonged to a Braintree address and home of the suspect and a second person.

A vehicle in the parking lot matched the description of the vehicle in the Braintree robbery, with a large knife inside the car visible, according to Jenkins. The vehicle involved in the Canton robbery was not in the lot.

Detectives set up surveillance at the home and were notified that state police cruisers on Route 93 were driving behind the suspected vehicle from the Canton robbery.

After the vehicle was stopped in Braintree Square, Pagan was taken into custody. Evidence of the Canton robbery was recovered during the arrest.