Ski mask-wearing woman accused of armed robbery in Collier County

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office released video of a masked, armed robber holding up a gas station and the subsequent arrest of Martha Contino, 48.

The armed robbery happened at the Shell gas station at 7392 Radio Road in Collier shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The station is located at the corner of Radio Road and Santa Barbara Blvd., south of Interstate 75. Contino was arrested later the same day.

“This was terrific teamwork by our patrol deputies, detectives and Real-Time Operations Center,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said.

According to CCSO, store employees reported a woman wearing all-black clothing and a ski mask entering the store carrying a firearm.

She then walked behind the counter, removed a box containing an undisclosed amount of money, and ran away from the store.

Store employees told investigators they believed that Contino, their former co-worker, was the robbery suspect because she displayed qualities similar to the robber, including her height and walking habits.

Contino was recently let go from her job at the gas station.

Surveillance footage from the gas station showed the suspect running east from the store and across Santa Barbara Boulevard into an apartment complex on Santa Clara Drive.

Deputies then executed a search warrant at Contino’s residence, where they said they located the same clothing seen in the surveillance footage, along with meth and amphetamines.

Deputies also located a black ski mask and a large amount of cash concealed in Contino’s clothing.

According to CCSO, Contino resisted efforts to arrest her.

She faced charges of possession of amphetamine, possession of controlled substances, and resisting arrest without violence. More charges are pending related to the armed robbery.