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SANDY — A man who was upset that a woman wouldn't let him use her vape reacted by pulling a gun, according to police.
Emanuel Fanta Samuel, 18, of Taylorsville, was charged Tuesday in 3rd District Court with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
On May 20, Samuel approached a group of people who were at Sunset Coffee, 7978 S. 1300 East, "and began to aggressively try and use their vapes," according to charging documents.
After one woman told Samuel "no" multiple times, he grabbed her arms and tried to take her vape by force, the charges state. The woman pulled away from Samuel and she and her friends yelled at him to leave while he yelled profanities back at them, according to the charges.
"Samuel made his way to his car where he grabbed a gun from the center console," according to the charges.
A man who had pulled in to the coffee shop as Samuel was yelling at the women — who were his friends — walked over to Samuel's vehicle and also told him to leave. That's when Samuel pointed the gun directly at the man from about 15-feet away, the charges state.
The woman took a picture of Samuel's license plate as he drove off and gave it to police. Officers tracked him down at his home and arrested him the next day, the charges state.
Prosecutors note in charging documents that Samuel is also being investigated in connection with an aggravated assault incident in Salt Lake City that happened approximately 30 minutes prior to the incident at the coffee shop. In that case, a man at Fairmont Park in Sugar House called to a woman who was roller skating to come to his vehicle and ended up pulling a gun, according to police.
Samuel was also a suspect in a third case on May 17 involving a man with an Airsoft gun near 4100 South Redwood Road, according to Unified police.
"Further, Samuel has a juvenile history that includes multiple assault incidents including an assault against a police officer," the charges state.
