TAYLORSVILLE, Utah, March 4, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A federal fugitive suspected in the aggravated robberies of multiple area businesses, including three in Taylorsville, is in police custody.
According to an online statement posted Friday by The Taylorsville Police Department, Thomas Riessen, 30, was arrested Wednesday by the TVPD’s Violent Crimes Unit. He’s been charged with robbing a security service, a department store and a pharmacy.
Police say Riessen is also tied to multiple other robberies in Salt Lake and Utah counties, “including six banks, a convenient store, grocery store and department store.”
Sunday, Riessen, managed to evade police when he was spotted just before 5 p.m behind the wheel of an F-150 pickup in a strip mall parking lot at 5500 South and Redwood Road.
Officers attempted stop Riessen, but he drove off, heading eastbound on 5400 South into Murray before turning onto Interstate 15.
Police said Riessen traveled a short distance before pulling over and bailing from the pick up truck. He then scaled a fence before vanishing into the area just west of the highway.
Two passengers who remained in the truck were taken into custody.
Officers established a wide containment area and called in K-9 units to join in the search, but Riessen managed to avoid capture.
TVPD Chief Brady Cottam commented Riessen’s arrest during this week’s City Council, stressing that the suspect is not from Taylorsville but was arrested here.
“We want criminals to know that we will catch them,” Cottam said. “Taylorsville is where crime is stopped.”
Riessen was taken safely into custody Wednesday following an investigation, led by TVPD’s Violent Crimes Unit with the assistance of multiple TVPD officers, the West Valley City Police Department, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service.
