St. George restaurant employees tackle, detain man after alleged robbery

ST. GEORGE — A team of restaurant employees worked together to detain a man after he allegedly attempted to rob the store Friday night.

Police respond to an alleged robbery at Durango’s Mexican Grill, St. George, Utah, June 3, 2022 | Submitted photo, St. George News

At approximately 9:43 p.m., St. George Police received a call for service at the Durango’s Mexican Grill on Red Cliffs Drive in St George.

Information provided to 911 revealed that a man, Lazaro Ponce, entered the restaurant and referenced having a weapon, according to a press release issued by the St. George Police Department. He allegedly threatened to harm employees and demanded money.

Employees complied, and as the suspect was leaving the restaurant, a 17-year-old male employee tackled the suspect and other employees helped by holding the suspect down, according to the press release. The manager on duty, a concealed carry permit holder, came after he heard the commotion and assisted in keeping the suspect on scene until police arrived.

Officers arrived on scene and quickly took the suspect into custody. The suspect had arrived in St. George in a vehicle reported stolen out of Las Vegas, according to police. He had very recently been released from custody in Nevada for charges of robbery and kidnapping.

“The suspect is in custody and there is no further threat to the community,” the press release states. “The parties involved were not injured and the stolen money was returned.”

Ponce was booked into jail on charges of disorderly conduct – fight, violent, threaten; intoxication; failure to disclose identity; theft of $500-$1500; stolen vehicle; and aggravated robbery.

At the time of this report, police have not confirmed whether Ponce actually had a weapon.

The Police Department thanked those involved for their efforts in bringing the man into custody without any injuries to those involved.

This report is based on statements from law enforcement officials and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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