17-year-old employee tackles accused robber fleeing restaurant, Utah police say

A 17-year-old restaurant worker thwarted a robbery when he tackled a man fleeing after demanding cash, Utah police reported.

Others, including a manager with a concealed carry permit, helped hold the man until officers arrived at Durango’s Mexican restaurant after the 9:43 p.m. incident Friday, June 3, St. George police said in a news release.

The man entered the restaurant, “referenced a weapon” and threatened to hurt workers before demanding cash, police said.

But when he tried to leave with the stolen money, the teenage employee tackled him at the door, the release said.

Other employees helped hold the man down and the manager, hearing the ruckus, came to investigate, police said. Officers arrested the man and recovered the stolen money.

The man, who police did not identify, had recently been released in Nevada on charges of robbery and kidnapping, police said.

He came to St. George in a vehicle stolen from Las Vegas, the release said.

“We would like to thank those involved for their efforts in bringing this subject into custody without any injuries to those involved,” police wrote.

St. George is a city of 189,000 people in the southwest corner of Utah near the Arizona and Nevada borders.

This story was originally published June 5, 2022 at 12:59 PM with the headline "17-year-old employee tackles accused robber fleeing restaurant, Utah police say."