SPRINGVILLE, Utah, Oct. 9, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Two armed robbery suspects are in custody after the Springville Police Department and other agencies conducted a search of the city’s west side, locking down two schools briefly on Monday afternoon.
Lt. Warren Foster, Springville Police Department, told Gephardt Daily that three armed robbery suspects were being sought after a car was stolen late Sunday or early Monday from Springville, and was driven to Sanpete County, which borders Utah County to the south. The stolen car was set on fire and abandoned, Foster said.
Foster said a second car, a black and white Kia, was stolen from Sanpete County and driven back to Utah County. Law enforcement agencies were aware and kept an eye out for the Kia, which was spotted Monday afternoon in Orem.
“A (Utah) County deputy picked it up, and a pursuit began, and other agencies became involve, but for whatever reason, they lost the vehicle,” Foster said.
Officers conducted a search, and focused on the west side of Springville, where witnesses monitoring social media had reported a sighting.
Springville City announced the school lockdowns at about 2:10 p.m. on its Facebook page:
“Reagan Academy and West Side School are on lock-down ONLY as a precaution and are expected to have delayed bus schedules,” said a notice posted at about 2:10 p.m. on the city’s Facebook page. By about 2:30 p.m., the lockdown had been lifted.
Foster said the Kia was later found abandoned in a church parking lot in Springville, and witnesses were able to describe the two men who had walked away from the car. The two suspects were picked up nearby, and taken into custody without incident, Foster said.
Foster said although three suspects were reportedly involved in the thefts, there was no conclusive evidence that the third man had been in the car when it was spotted or abandoned.
Foster said no guns were found on the suspects when they were taken into custody.
