Three arrested for aggravated robbery

Three people police say brutally attacked a convenience store clerk just to steal cases of beer were arrested Wednesday.

Just before 5 a.m. two men entered the 7-Eleven, 490 N. Redwood Road. One took four 18-packs of beer from the cooler and walked out, said Salt Lake City police detective Joe Cyr.

The second man walked up to the clerk and "punched the clerk in the face and then choked him and threw him to the floor. The suspect continued to punch the clerk and claiming to have a gun. The suspect then stood up and stomped on the clerk's head several times," according to a police report.

Amazingly, the clerk suffered only minor head injuries.

Witnesses were able to get a good description of the getaway vehicle as well as a license plate number, Cyr said.

Just after 8 a.m., an officer spotted a vehicle at another 7-Eleven, 790 S. 900 West, similar to the vehicle from the first robbery that had a similar license plate number.

Officers pulled over the vehicle near 961 W. and 800 South and learned one of the men inside was involved in the robbery and clerk beating, Cyr said. That man gave up the names and locations of two others involved who were also arrested, he said.

Viliami Taufuna, 19, John Kalekale, 21, and Sione Fonua, 18, were all arrested for investigation of aggravated robbery. Taufuna was arrested for the additional charge of aggravated assault.

---

E-mail: preavy@desnews.com