COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS — An 18-year-old man and 15-year-old boy accused of robbing two convenience stores overnight using an AR-15 were arrested early Tuesday following a large search by police agencies from multiple jurisdictions.
About 3:10 a.m., a male with a rifle walked into a Maverik store, 6855 S. 1300 East, pointed his weapon at the clerk and demanded money, said Cottonwood Heights Police Sgt. Gary Young. After receiving an undisclosed amount of cash, the gunman and his partner drove west on Fort Union Boulevard.
A few minutes later, police spotted the car near 700 East and 6400 South. The officers followed the car from a distance as they coordinated with officers from other police agencies in setting up a plan to take the duo into custody, Young said.
After backup officers had arrived in the area, the officers following the duo turned on their overhead lights and attempted to pull them over. That led to a chase that ended at an apartment complex near 400 East and 3450 South, he said.
At that point, the two abandoned their car, which was later determined to be stolen, and ran. Using multiple officers in the area in addition to drones, police K-9s and the Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter, the two were arrested a short time later and an AR-15 was recovered, Young said. The two were arrested for investigation of aggravated robbery, fleeing, being in possession of a stolen vehicle, and being a restricted person in possession of a firearm.
Detectives later learned of a similar robbery that happened at a 7-Eleven in Millcreek, 3311 S. 700 East, prior to the Maverik robbery that is believed to have been committed by the same people. In that case, Young said a male pointed a rifle at the clerk and took money from two cash registers as well as cigarettes. The robbers were last seen heading south on 700 East in a lime green Kia Sol — the same vehicle later chased by police following the Maverik robbery, Young said.
The 18-year-old, Stephen Addo Kpaleh, was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of aggravated robbery, obstruction of justice, failing to respond to an officer’s signal to stop, fleeing from police and unlawful possession of a weapon. A police booking affidavit notes that Kpaleh “has history of weapons offense and is a suspect in a shooting.”
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