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HOLLADAY — A man and woman involved in several bank robberies were identified and arrested Tuesday night, police said.
After a string of violent armed robberies, two police officers were staking out at a Fresh Market grocery store at 3865 S. 2300 East around 7 p.m., according to Unified police. Police believed the Wells Fargo branch inside the Fresh Market was a possible target for a man they suspected was linked to the robberies of six banks and a convenience store.
The officers spotted a man matching the robber's description enter the store and head toward the bank just before 7 p.m. As the officers approached, the man turned around and headed back outside while he took off fake facial hair, police said. The man had a black BB gun in his waistband, according to booking documents.
When the officers contacted the man outside, he began to struggle against both of them, managing to free one officer's gun from its holster. The detective tried to keep the gun pointed at the ground to avoid any injuries, but when the man fired the gun, the bullet went through the detective’s coat and hit the shooter in the leg, police said.
The bullet lodged into one of the suspect's thighs, police said. But the man kept fighting and even threatened to shoot again, the booking documents state. It wasn't until backup officers arrived that police were able to control him and place him under arrest.
The man, identified as 30-year-old Edward Jensen, was transported to Intermountain Medical Center in fair condition. The officer was treated at St. Mark's Hospital for minor injuries to his hand, sustained when the gun went off.
After Jensen was taken into custody, officers observed a female in a car in the parking lot. She was linked as the “getaway driver for the suspect in the bank robberies,” police said. Tiffani Lalor, 32, was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of aggravated robbery and attempted aggravated robbery.
Jensen was released from the hospital Wednesday and was also booked into the Salt Lake County Jail on suspicion of aggravated robbery, attempted homicide and disarming a police officer.
Jensen is believed to have dressed as a woman when he robbed a Chase Bank, police said. Since then, detectives believe he has worn a fake mustache or beard and carried a gun in all the other robberies he is suspected of committing.
Court records show Jensen was convicted of drug possession and tampering with evidence in 2008. He was sentenced to probation and ordered to undergo drug treatment. He was found guilty of DUI in 2007 and also ordered to receive substance abuse treatment.
Contributing: McKenzie Romero and Pat Reavy
