ST. GEORGE, Utah, Feb. 3, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) — A man identified as a previously deported MS-13 gang member has been arrested for the alleged armed robbery of a St. George convenience store.
According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Dennis Solares-Garcia, 39, was taken into custody Sunday on the Las Vegas Strip by members of its Nevada Violent Offender Task Force.
The St. George Police Department confirmed the arrest in an online statement Sunday night.
“On January 30, 2025, the Tiendita Luzita Mini-Market was robbed at gunpoint,” the SGPD said, and the suspect, Solares-Garcia, was taken into custody two days later “in a Las Vegas hotel.”
The SGPD statement said a “thorough investigation,” conducted in collaboration with multiple law enforcement agencies, led to Solares-Garcia’s arrest.
Those agencies included: the U.S. Marshals Service, Utah Violent Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team, Nevada Violent Offender Task Force, Washington City Police Department, Santa Clara/Ivins Police Department, Cedar City Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Iron County Sheriff’s Office, Utah State Bureau of Investigation, and Utah Adult Probation and Parole.
The St. George Police Department’s statement did not mention Solares-Garcia’s alleged MS-13 gang affiliation, or his prior deportation, but did thank U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration Customs Enforcement.
U.S. Marshal Gary Schofield also thanked fellow law enforcement agencies, saying, “An MS-13 gang member responsible for a violent crime was removed from the community today. Thanks to the diligent investigative work of all involved agencies, he can no longer pose a threat.”
