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WEST VALLEY CITY — Three teenagers have been arrested in the shooting of a gas station clerk who police say was being compliant with the robbers' demands.
The teens, ages, 16, 16 and 17, were arrested early Tuesday following a string of overnight activity by Unified and West Valley police officers that included the execution of two search warrants in West Valley City on the homes of two of the boys.
Unified police detective Ken Hansen said a 16-year-old boy is believed to have shot the clerk. The boys were all booked into a juvenile detention facility.
Just after 4 a.m. Monday, two juveniles entered the Exxon gas station, 2187 W. 4700 South. Both boys were carrying handguns.
The two went behind the counter and took a "small amount" of cash from two registers and cigarettes, Hansen said. During the robbery, the boys pointed their guns at the 21-year-old clerk, "at times sticking the gun on his head," even though the clerk was in "total compliance" with their demands, he said.
After they finished cleaning out the registers and were leaving the store, one of the suspects shot the clerk multiple times, Hansen said. The clerk remained hospitalized Tuesday in fair condition, he said.
Related:
Taylorsville clerk shot despite complying with robbers' demands
A 21-year-old convenience store clerk was shot multiple times early Monday by two men stealing cash and cigarettes, despite being completely compliant with the robbers' demands, according to police.The juveniles were believed to also be responsible for a recent series of other convenience store and gas station robberies.
Hansen said after surveillance video from the Exxon shooting was released publicly, one of the boys was recognized by a member of the public. West Valley police acted on the tip and arrested one of the boys.
Based on information from that arrest, Unified police detectives served two search warrants in West Valley City early Tuesday and arrested the other two boys. At one house, at least three guns were recovered, Hansen said.
In addition to the Exxon robbery, police believe the boys can be linked to recent robberies at:
- Shell Station, 4018 W. 4100 South
- 7-Eleven, 5400 W. 4100 South
- Shell Station, 7210 W. 3500 South
Hansen said drugs and gang affiliation are being looked at as possible motives for the robberies. He did not know if all three boys participated in each robbery.
