A Vicksburg man believed to have robbed a loan store at gunpoint Dec. 3 was captured in El Paso, Texas, Friday afternoon, Vicksburg police Chief Walter Armstrong said.

Tarontate Crockett, 34, who has lived in several locations including his girlfriend’s residence at 1205 China St., Apt. C-3, was arrested around 12:30 by U.S. Marshals at a bus station, Armstrong said.

“We had received reports that he was headed to California,” he said.

The vehicle Crockett was believed to be driving when he left Vicksburg was found at Grambling State University — about 115 miles west of Vicksburg — where Crockett’s cousin is a student, Armstrong said. Crockett abandoned it and “started hopping buses,” he added.

Crockett is suspected of being the masked man who robbed the Pay Day Loan Store, 2310 Iowa Ave., in the shopping center anchored by Walmart. Armstrong would not release the amount of money taken but said authorities believe some of it was recovered when Crockett was arrested.

Armstrong said Crockett’s capture was not announced in police reports Friday afternoon and evening because investigators were “still working on some of the details of the case that we did not want to jeopardize.”

Crockett, who is being held in an unnamed El Paso facility, is expected to be extradited this week to Mississippi to face an armed robbery charge and possible additional charges, said the chief.

Investigators are also still working to determine if other suspects might have aided Crockett and could face charges.