Police seek man in connection with 3 Salt Lake County robberies


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SOUTH JORDAN — A man who had “something strapped to his chest” robbed a Denny’s restaurant Sunday morning and may be responsible for two other Draper robberies, police say.

A man in his 20’s entered the Denny’s restaurant located at 10646 S. Frontage Road., displayed a handgun and demanded money from an employee, who gave the man an undisclosed amount from the register, according to South Jordan Master Police Officer Samuel Winkler.

Winkler said the man displayed what was described to him as an “incendiary device” on his chest. Winkler did not know if the man made any threats with the device but said he made it easy for the employee to see.

A driver in a dark colored, four-door Ford Focus was waiting for the man and they fled south on I-15.

Police responded around 6:30 a.m. and describe the man as 6 feet tall and white, with a medium build. He was wearing a dark jacket and a white mask or scarf covering his face.

Police in Draper a robbery and an attempted robbery with similar suspect descriptions occurred a short time later.

Around 7 a.m., officers arrived at the 7-Eleven located at 692 E. 12300 South where a 6 feet tall, white male suspect had placed a backpack on the counter and said a bomb was in it while also displaying a handgun and demanding money, according to Draper police Sgt. Chad Carpenter said.


From the information, the same thing strapped to the chest, the same description — all of that was the same. It leads us to believe they were the same, but we want to get confirmation through video that they were the same suspects.

–Master Officer Samuel Winkler, SJPD


The clerks refused to give the suspect any money, and he left, Carpenter said. The Unified Fire Bomb Squad was called to the scene and determined the device in the backpack was not a bomb.

About 30 minutes later, Draper police responded to an armed robbery at the Pro Stop convenience store located at 13893 S. Bangerter Parkway. The same suspect entered the store, displayed a handgun and demanded money before leaving with an undisclosed amount, Carpenter said.

The suspect was wearing a beanie, sunglasses, a facemask, a black trench coat and a gray hooded sweatshirt.

Investigators from both police agencies were collecting video surveillance Sunday to determine if all three are related.

“We obviously don’t have the luxury of having that information straight from Draper, but we do share a same dispatch with them and from the information, the same thing strapped to the chest, the same description — all of that was the same,” Winkler said. “It leads us to believe they were the same, but we want to get confirmation through video that they were the same suspects.”

The man and the driver are considered armed and extremely dangerous and anyone with information is urged to call 911 or South Jordan and Draper's dispatch center at (801) 840-4000.

Contributing: Sandra Yi

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