Robbery suspect caught

Employees of area insurance agencies may feel a bit safer after Odessan Gabriel Rodriguez Ortega, 40, was charged Wednesday with three counts of aggravated robbery.

The robberies occurred Oct. 23 at Allstate Insurance, 1806 N. West County Road, Nov. 5 at Fred Loya Insurance, 4031 E. 42nd St. and Nov. 10 at Beeson's Insurance, 9000 W. University Blvd.

Employees said they feel safer now that Ortega has been charged in their cases.

“I feel better. I was afraid he would try to come back,” Allstate clerk Nataly Rivera said.

She said detectives brought in a group of pictures to the office around 11 a.m., and she identified Ortega from the lineup.

Fred Loya clerk April Aguilar said she feels relief.

“I’m so glad he’s been caught,” she said.

Odessa Police Cpl. Sherrie Carruth said Ortega was charged with three counts of aggravated robbery because two people were robbed at the Allstate location.

In addition to the robbery charges, Carruth said Ortega also was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm in a gun-free school zone after he was arrested near Nimitz Junior High School. No bond has been set in his case.

Ortega was taken in for questioning around 8 a.m. Wednesday morning after Cpl. Rusty Martin noticed Ortega driving a blue 2003 Honda Civic in the area of Maple Avenue and Fernwood Street.

Ortega pulled into the parking lot on the west side of the school after police signaled for him to pull over.

Sgt. J.W. Carta said the school was not affected by the incident.

“This had nothing to do with the school or safety of the kids,” he said. “There was not a lockdown.”