Roy police arrest man accused of running over clerk

ROY — A tip from an anonymous caller helped police arrest a man wanted for allegedly running over a convenience store employe while trying to drive off without paying for gas.

Bradford Maez Beddes, 32, was arrested at his home in Roy about 9 p.m. Wednesday, just a few blocks away from a Maverick gas station on the corner of 3500 West and 5600 South.

Beddes apparently knew police were looking for him and that they had released surveillance video of the incident to local news stations, said Roy Police Sgt. Shawn O'Malley. Beddes parked his pickup truck at an associate's house in Sunset, O'Malley said, and when detectives went to his house in Roy, he tried to hide in a closet, and others in the house assisted in trying to conceal him from police.

After Beddes was taken into custody, he admitted being at the gas station and knowing he had hit the clerk, the sergeant said.

Wednesday morning, a man had just filled his pickup with more than $100 in gas was about to drive off when the gas station attendant walked in front of his vehicle in an attempt to stop him. The truck ran over the clerk, who was taken to a nearby hospital with a broken shoulder, ribs, hip and a punctured lung.

After surveillance video from the gas station was released to media outlets, police received several anonymous tips, and Beddes was arrested for investigation of aggravated robbery. He is believed to be responsible for several gas thefts in Weber and Davis counties, O'Malley said.

Court records show Beddes has a long criminal history, including charges of disorderly conduct, theft, simple assault, drug possession and retail theft. The Weber County Attorney's Office will review the evidence to determine if any of the people who tried to hide Beddes should be charged.

e-mail: preavy@desnews.com