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Whit Johnson reporting Two robberies at local 7-Elevens happened just an hour apart. Now police are looking for three men they say are armed and dangerous.
The investigation is a multi-agency effort between Salt Lake City and West Valley City police. They believe these two robberies are connected, and they're looking into the possibility that the suspects may have done this before.
Around 11:30 last night, two men barged through the door of a 7-Eleven on Indiana Ave. in Salt Lake City. "One of the suspects approached the cashier, produced a handgun, and demanded cash from the cash register," Salt Lake City Detective Jared Wihongi explained.
Despite having a gun in his face, the clerk stayed calm and began filling a bag with cash. Meanwhile, the other suspect grabbed a case of beer from the fridge.
"We'd like these people to be taken off the street before someone gets hurt," Wihongi said.
The two men took off, and according to police, the third suspect was waiting outside in the getaway car. "When I came, [the clerk] was a little shaky, but he's OK. … He said, ‘Don't worry. I'm OK," store owner Asghar Ali said.
Ali says the clerk who was working at the time did everything right. "I told all of my employees, ‘Please, be safe first. Safety first; don't worry about the money,'" Ali explained.
Wihongi reiterated that advice in saying, "No amount of money is worth a life."
Later, around 12:30 a.m. and not far away in West Valley City, three men completed another robbery at the 7-Eleven near 4800 West and 3500 South. "Similar description of the suspects. They happened within an hour or two of each other, so that's definitely one of the possibilities that we're looking into right now," Wihongi said.
In both robberies the men wanted beer and cash. They wore hooded sweatshirts and bandannas covering their faces. Police are still trying to find out exactly who they're looking for, and they're asking for the public's help.
The suspects may have been driving an American-made, light-colored sedan. If you have any information, please call the West Valley City Police Department at 966-3600 or the Salt Lake City Police Department at 799-3000.
