CEDAR CITY, Utah — Cedar City police arrested two men suspected of trying to force another man to withdraw money from an ATM.
According to a probable cause statement, officers responded to a report of a man with a gun at a Maverik store around 3:50 a.m. Sunday.
As the officers arrived at that location, there was another report of a man with a gun at a Love’s Travel Stop.
Witnesses at the Maverik told police they saw “an Asian male with black spiky hair” rack a gun in the parking lot.
Other officers located the victim at the Love’s store. He said two men forced their way into a hotel room where he was staying and forced him at gunpoint to go to the convenience stores and take out money.
The victim said he knows one of the suspects as “Stewart” and said he and the other man might be staying at a house at 338 East 575 North.
Officers located both men at that home, and later identified them as 53-year-old Stewart Lanza and 35-year-old Avery Holyelkface.
They matched the suspects in surveillance video at the stores.
After being informed of their Miranda rights, both men admitted to trying to force the victim to get cash to repay a debt he owes them, according to the affidavit.
Officers searched the home and found one pistol hidden in the couch and another one in a refrigerator.
Stewart was charged with aggravated robbery with the use of a weapon, aggravated assault, kidnapping and burglary of a dwelling, all felony counts, as well as a misdemeanor charge of theft.
Holyelkface is suspected of being an accomplice in those crimes.
Both men were booked into jail and are being held without bail.
