Orem man arrested after hotel robbery

PROVO — An Orem man was arrested Thursday after what police believe may have been his fifth robbery.

Police say the man walked into the Provo Fairfield Inn about 11:30 p.m. Thursday, advised the clerk he had a gun and demanded money.

"The man never pulled his hand out of his pocket," Provo Police Sgt. Matt Siufanua said. The man wore a gray hoodie with the hood over his head and kept making a clicking noise in his pocket.

After the clerk handed over an undisclosed amount of cash, Siufanua said, the robber drove away. The car was recorded by a hotel surveillance camera and later spotted at a downtown bar.

Joel Mantepeque, 33, was located inside and booked into jail for investigation of aggravated robbery.

"I just think he did his job and decided he wanted to celebrate," said Siufanua, who said the Orem man was intoxicated when arrested.

Police are investigating whether Montepeque was the same man who robbed the Hampton Inn in Provo a few days ago, Siufanua said. He also matches the description of a man who committed at least three robberies in Orem, said Orem Police Lt. Craig Martinez.

— Sara Lenz