This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
He said he had magazines to sell, then the 31-year-old man pulled a fake gun and tried to rob an eastside Salt Lake City apartment dweller.
That was his first and last mistake before being wrestled to the floor and held for police — and a trip to a real jail cell Sunday night.
The suspect gained entry to a secured apartment complex at 130 S. 1300 East about 8:45 p.m. by following a resident through a security door. The man then went to the fourth floor with his bogus magazine pitch, and when his intended victim allowed him inside to write out a receipt, the suspect pulled the weapon — what turned out to be a toy replica of a handgun.
The suspect demanded the apartment dweller's wallet and laptop computer. Instead, the two ended up in a scuffle. A neighbor, hearing calls for help, helped subdue the suspect and hold him until police arrived.
Police found the counterfeit firearm, broken on the floor.
The suspect was arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County jail, where he remained without bail Monday on suspicion of aggravated robbery.
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