| Price City Police officers talk with Matthew Lewis and Nick Ori following a reported robbery at the Holiday Inn’s parking lot in west Price. |
Carbon County law enforcement conducted a manhunt last Thursday following an apparent armed robbery incident outside the Holiday Inn in Price.
According to a press release issued by the Price City Police Department, the Carbon County dispatch center received a call on April 3 from Matthew Lewis, 23, and Nick Ori, 25, indicating they had just been accosted in a parking lot at 838 Westwood Boulevard.
Employees of the hotel located near Castleview Hospital reported that the scene was tense when Ori came into the building requesting assistance.
“He came in and blurted out that he had just been robbed and asked me to call the cops,” pointed out Robin Bray, who was manning the counter at Holiday Inn. “He did have a really big goose egg and slash on his head and he told us he had been hit with a gun.”
Law enforcement officers from throughout the Carbon County area responded to the public safety dispatch broadcast and searched for the suspect, described as a six foot tall, bearded white male between 25 to 30 years old.
Witnesses said the suspect was wearing a black hat and tan or green hooded sweatshirt at the time of the alleged armed robbery incident.
Lewis and Ori reported that the man was carrying a hand gun.
“The guy just jumped on Nick and started hitting him with the gun. Then he started screaming, ‘Give me everything you have.’ Then he started swinging at me. He only hit me once but he really put a beating on Nick,” indicated Lewis.
Lewis described the weapon the suspect was reportedly carrying as a small, snub nose, silver handgun.
Lewis stated that he did not know the attacker, but may have seen the man earlier in the day.
“He just kept saying, ‘If you don’t give me everything, I’m going to shoot you,” added Lewis.
While Ori was speaking to Price Officer Tracy Allred, he asked, “Have you guys caught him yet? And how long is he going to be under arrest? What if he comes after us again?”
The manhunt did not result in anyone being located although law enforcement searched a good portion of west Price along with several businesses.
“He came running in guns drawn,” said Josh Hollar, an employee at Market Express near the Holiday Inn. “They really swarmed into the store, if he had been in here they would have taken him down for sure.”
Lewis and Ori reported to local law enforcement that some personal property was taken by the suspect.
Additionally, the investigating officers confirmed that Ori had received minor injuries to the area of his face.
According to the Price police department statement, the local law enforcement agency is investigating the incident and several leads are being followed up.
“On Wednesday, I plan to meet with Mr. Ori,” concluded Price Police Chief Aleck Shilaos. “I am really hoping that we can come to a resolution at that point.”