This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Police investigators from South Salt Lake and Cottonwood Heights are working together to locate a suspect they believe committed at least two armed robberies since last Wednesday.
In each of the robberies, a man brandished a black handgun and concealed his face beneath a baggy, purple-and-yellow hooded sweatshirt.
"It's a pretty distinct hoodie. Especially when it's 90 degrees outside, you're not going to see somebody dressed like that," said Cottonwood Heights Sgt. Corbett Ford. "I'm sitting here sweating just thinking about it."
The first robbery occurred on Wednesday, July 16, at 11:26 p.m. at a Maverik Convenience Store at 2700 South Main Street, in South Salt Lake. The second robbery took place Sunday night about 9:00 p.m. at a Taco Bell at 1962 Fort Union Blvd. in Cottonwood Heights
In each case, police dogs searched the area around the crime scene but were unable to locate the suspect, indicating he may have fled in a vehicle.
Police are also investigating whether the suspect was involved in another armed robbery of a Little Caesar's at 7890 S. 1300 East in Sandy, which took place 20 minutes after the Taco Bell robbery in Cottonwood Heights, Ford said.
Sandy police Sgt. Dean Carriger confirmed that Sandy detectives were investigating whether the robberies were related, though they remained uncertain. Sandy police believe the Little Caesar's robbery may be linked to yet another robbery that occurred on July 15th about 9:00 p.m. at a Conoco gas station at 8612 S. 1300 East, Carriger said.
Police from South Salt Lake and Cottonwood Heights are looking for a 5-foot-7 white or Hispanic male in his 30s or 40s.
Police are asking anyone with information about the robberies to call (801) 840-4000. All calls are confidential and anonymous.
Robbery victims should always comply with robbers' requests "to be safe," added Ford, "and, number two, just be good witnesses. We want them to give us as much good information as they possibly can to help us identify and successfully prosecute these individuals."
Twitter: @Harry_Stevens