Shooting and attempted robbery at Cedar City Wal-Mart

UPDATE:

Cedar City Police investigators are alleging that the shooting and attempted robbery that occurred Thursday, Aug. 13, in the parking lot of the Cedar City Wal-Mart, was not a random attack as originally reported.

During their investigation of the crime and based upon the testimony of witnesses, police were able to determine that there was more to the story than they were being told by the victims. Police allege that the victims had arranged to meet the suspects in the parking lot prior to the incident.

According to a press release from the Cedar City Police Department, “[I]nitially the victims told investigators they did not know the suspects. During the course of the investigation, however, it was found that they had arranged to meet at Wal-Mart previous to this incident occurring.”

Three persons were identified as suspects based upon tips from the community and were apprehended without incident on Monday morning, Aug. 17, by Cedar City Police.

“All three of the suspects have local addresses,” said Sgt. Jerry Womack of the Cedar City Police Department. They are Davion Fletcher 18, Bryant Lewis 21, and Ivan Favila 18. The Iron County bookings web page only shows Fletcher and Favila as being booked and lists both with Las Vegas addresses. Each is charged with first degree felony aggravated robbery, third degree felony aggravated assault, third degree felony discharge of a firearm, and second degree felony theft of a firearm. They were booked into Iron County Correctional Facility.

Womack said that because the victims originally told police that they didn’t not know their attackers, the county attorney is reviewing the case to determine whether they will face charges for filing a false police report.

The names of the victims have not yet been released by police. The firearm used in the attack and recovered by police was listed as stolen, though police could not say from where it was stolen.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Cedar City police are searching for two suspects after an attempted robbery and shooting in the parking lot of the Cedar City Wal-Mart.

According to Cedar City Police Department Public Information Officer Jimmy Roden, police are searching for two black males in a “smaller silver passenger vehicle,” after one of the suspects allegedly tried to rob the passengers of another vehicle at gunpoint.

Roden said a male and female were seated in their vehicle at the north end of the Wal-Mart parking lot after leaving the retailer Thursday evening at approximately 6:20 p.m. and were approached on foot by a single black male who entered their vehicle and displayed a handgun.

One of the occupants of the vehicle fled on foot, at which time the suspect got out of the vehicle and fled.

“The robbery was thwarted when one of the victims exited the vehicle,” said Roden.

After the suspect exited the vehicle, the victim returned. As the couple tried to drive away, the suspect fired at least one shot at their vehicle.

Roden said no one was injured in the shooting, and witnesses reported the suspect got into the passenger side of a small silver vehicle driven by another black male and fled the area.

No further details were available, and the names of the victims were not released. Further updates will follow as they become available.