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SALT LAKE CITY — A man who police say robbed a teen inside the bathroom at a downtown Salt Lake City restaurant was arrested over the weekend.
Just before 6 p.m. Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was walking toward PF Chang's, 174 W. 300 South, to meet others for dinner. The teen gave money to a panhandler and noticed another person watching him, said Salt Lake Police Sgt. Robin Heiden.
The teen then went into the restaurant to wait to be seated and noticed that the man who had been watching him also walked inside. Later, the teen went to the restaurant's bathroom. While in the bathroom, he was confronted by the man who had been watching him.
The man "placed his fist on the victim's stomach and said, 'This is a stick up. Give me all your money and no one gets hurt,'" a Salt Lake County Jail report states.
The man took $108, ran toward the restaurant door and the teen followed yelling that he had been robbed, Heiden said.
"The manager tried to stop him, but he pushed her out of the way," she said.
As the man ran out the door, the teen followed and continued to yell that he had been robbed. A cab driver saw the commotion and followed the man, Heiden said. The cabbie then flagged down a nearby Salt Lake police officer and pointed out a Dumpster at 224 S. 200 West that the suspect was hiding behind.
Aaron J. Thomson, 19, of Riverton, was arrested for investigation of robbery and drug possession. Five Xanax pills that he did not have a prescription for were found in his pocket, according to the report.
Thomson was charged in January in 3rd District Court with theft by receiving stolen property, burglary, theft, fleeing and drug suspension. He was granted pre-trial supervised release two weeks ago, according to court records.
