Call Helps End Robbery
A well-timed phone call, resistance by the victim and some poor judgment by the alleged criminal combined to lead police to the man they say held up a check cashing store in Orem, Utah.
The robbery was .
Orem Police Lt. Doug Edwards described what happened for Kathryn May of CBS affiliate KUTV in Salt Lake City.
"He came right in and forcefully took her to the ground," Edwards said.
The robber entered "Cash Valley" with a toy gun he'd bought at a K-Mart down the street, May reports.
He was "very violent with her," Edwards said.
After tackling the female employee, the crook forced her to open the safe.
"You can only imagine what this poor woman is feeling," Edwards said.
But when he got the money, he didn't leave.
"She felt and she was concerned that this individual may rape her," Edwards said. "He attempted to duct tape her mouth and eyes. When she squirmed and fought enough, he tried to tape her hands together."
The woman continued to put up a fight and pleaded with the robber.
"She kept conversing with him about the fact that she has children and a husband," Edwards said.
Then, the phone rang. The robber tried to tear the phone out of the wall, but only managed to take the receiver off the hook — and it was the worker's husband on the line.
He heard what was happening and called 911, May said.
The robber took off, and the woman pushed the panic button, locked the front door and called 911 from her cell phone.
She was shaken up but not seriously hurt, May said.
Later, the woman recognized the suspect, who'd been in the store previously seeking a loan, May said.
Police arrested 28-year-old Junior P. Fea, of Orem, and charged him with aggravated robbery. They say he confessed and said he did it because he was short on cash.
As for the woman's actions, Edwards said, "She did very well. Under the circumstances, she did the right thing."