Salt Lake man robbed by Layton gunmen, police say

Salt Lake police were investigating an armed robbery Tuesday that was unusual because of the amount of force used and where the suspects lived.

A man, 24, was walking across the parking lot of an apartment complex near 500 South and 900 East when he was approached about 8:30 p.m. by four to five men, all armed with handguns and one possibly with a shotgun, said Salt Lake police spokeswoman Lara Jones.

The robbers took the victim's wallet, cell phone and a bag of fast food he was carrying, Jones said. A witness spotted the suspects driving away and got an excellent description of their vehicle, including the license plate number, she said.

The investigation lead police to Layton where officers watched the apartment to which the car was registered, and then rounded up several men to question them once they returned home just after 6 a.m., Jones said.

Police searched the apartment and found several pistols, some of which might have been Airsoft guns, Jones said.

One man was arrested for investigation of robbery and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. The investigation connecting others to the robbery was continuing Wednesday.

Jones said the connection of why the Layton residents were in that area of Salt Lake City or if the robbery was random or not was still being investigated. She noted, however, that it wasn't unusual for suspects to travel that far to commit a crime.

— Pat Reavy