An 18-year-old male from Sandy has been charged with robbery after his shoplifting attempt became a robbery when he broke the nose of a store employee.
"Force or fear is the definition there," said Orem police spokesperson Lieutenant Doug Edwards, speaking of the definition of robbery. "He [the suspect] was certainly willing to resort to fisticuffs."
According to Edwards, Sean Petersen, 18, entered Zumiez in the University Mall Tuesday afternoon with a friend, and raised the suspicion of store employees after spending 20 minutes in a dressing room. When the two attempted to leave, an employee approached them and asked them to return to the store. Peterson and his friend fled the scene, and the employee followed Petersen into the mall parking lot.
Edwards said the employee apprehended Petersen and tried to lead him back to Zumiez with the help of a bystander. Petersen then punched the employee in the nose, breaking it, and punched the other individual in the neck before again fleeing, Edwards said.
When determining whether or not to pursue crime suspects, Edwards advised all individuals use common sense.
"Every situation is different," he said, "I can't fault the store employee for following the suspect. There are inherent risks any time you try to apprehend or make an arrest on somebody who might be desperate. It's just common sense."
Officers who responded to a call from other Zumiez store employees said they saw Petersen near the Carabbas restaurant. When they drove up to the building Petersen disappeared, but officers found some stolen clothes as well as Petersen's jacket and shirt in nearby bushes.
Petersen was found hiding under a table in the Carabbas restaurant banquet room, and according to police reports he was very afraid but managed to say, "OK, you got me."
Petersen revealed the name of his accomplice, and police are still searching for the individual. Petersen was charged with robbery and two counts of assault. He was booked into Utah County jail.
Copyright Brigham Young University 6 Nov 2008
