Suspect in Custody After 14-Hour Standoff at All Star Travel Inn

The Salt Lake City Police Department took suspected bank robber Joe Dee Stang into custody at approximately 11:11 a.m. this morning.

Claiming he had a hostage, Stang barricaded himself in a room at the All Star Travel Inn after officers tracked him there and attempted to make contact. Following several hours of negotiations, he ceased communication.

SWAT officers forced entry and extracted Stang, who had no hostage after all, from an attic space at approximately 11:11 a.m. this morning. Medical personnel transported him to a local hospital for treatment of possible dehydration.

Officers will book Stang on aggravated robbery charges under a federal warrant. Other charges are pending, including those related to his flight from a work release program in Idaho earlier this month.

During the 14-hour standoff, officers evacuated approximately 50 people from the motel to a nearby church. They were allowed to return at approximately noon today.

The Police Department wishes to thank Salt Lake City Fire Department, Davis County SWAT/Paramedics, Unified Police Department, Taylorsville Police Department, Unified Fire Department, Utah Transit Authority, Gold Cross Ambulance, American Red Cross-Greater Salt Lake Chapter for their assistance in the standoff that began at approximately 9 p.m. Friday, July 30, 2010.

Male in surveillance photos cleared in robbery

SALT LAKE CITY—The Salt Lake City Police Department yesterday released surveillance photos of a suspect in a purse snatching. The photos were taken at a nearby gas station where it is believed the suspect used the victim’s credit card following the robbery. Officers have made contact with the male in the photos and have cleared him as a suspect in the robbery.

As a result of this new information, the police dept asks all media outlets to remove these photos from their websites. The man in the photos is no longer a suspect.

Details of the robbery:

At approximately 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 27, an elderly couple had just returned to their home in the area of 2300 E. 1300 S. and parked their car in their garage. A man came up behind the 86-year-old female victim and grabbed her purse out of her hand, and fled in a red SUV or Jeep.

The Police Department asks anyone who knows the identity or location of the suspect to call (801) 799-3000. Callers may remain anonymous. Please reference case #10-129940.

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Suspect Identified in Zions Bank Robbery

Salt Lake City Police Department confirms Joe Dee Stang (1/30/65) is the primary suspect in yesterday’s robbery of the Zions Bank branch at 1635 S. Redwood Road.

Stang walked away from an Idaho State Prison work program earlier this month, and he is a suspect in other offenses. Known to be in possession of at least one silver handgun, the public should consider him armed and dangerous.

The Police Department asks anyone with information about the suspect to call (801) 799-3000. Callers may remain anonymous. Please reference case #10-131159.

SLCPD Makes Arrests in Flores Homicide

SALT LAKE CITY—Salt Lake City Police Department Homicide Detectives today arrested two people in the July 19, 2009, homicide of Krystal Flores and the attempted homicide of a 23-year-old male.

Officers arrested:

· Pailate Lomu (7/1/89) on second-degree felony charges of homicide and obstruction of justice, as well as first-degree felony charges of discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury and aggravated burglary.

· Shannon Moala (3/6/78) on obstruction of justice in the Flores homicide, as well as two counts of possession of another’s identification documents and one count of forgery unrelated to the case—all third-degree felonies.

Homicide Detectives believe that Moala and Lomu were significant players in the group of gang members that went to the wrong house looking for rival gang members during the early morning hours of July 19, resulting in the homicide of Flores. It is clear that Flores and her family were not the intended targets, nor were they gang members.

Homicide Detectives also believe other parties were involved in this case and hope that people will continue to come forward and provide the information necessary to bring them to justice.

Furthermore, Homicide Detectives ask the public to come forward with information regarding two other gang-involved homicides:

· 2007-33206, gang members shot and killed victim Solomone Tuifua during a party at 1540 S. 900 W. on February 24, 2007.

· 2007-101949, gang members gunned down victim Villiami Latu in his driveway at 1815 W. Sir Jeffrey Circle on June 7, 2007.

Many times gang-involved crimes involve the same group of people and their associates, therefore it is a possibility that individuals who know something about the Flores case also may know something about similar homicides.

Salt Lake City Police Department offers up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of homicide suspects. To report criminal behavior, call (801) 799-INFO (4636) to obtain a confidential number. Confidential emails may be sent to tipsforcash@slcgov.com.

‘All-Parks’ Operation This Weekend

Focus on order maintenance, ‘playin’ safe’

Salt Lake City Police Department invites the public to say hello today and tomorrow as it steps up patrols in the city’s 71 parks during a seasonal operation.

Order maintenance during the high-use summer season is the focus of the multi-unit operation, but officers will also be giving out Subway Safety Citations to children “playin’ safe.” If they are wearing helmets and other protective gear while riding their bikes, skateboards and scooters, children may earn a special gift card good for one six-inch sandwich at area Subway restaurants.

In order to provide a safe environment for all park users to enjoy, the Salt Lake City Police Department addresses criminal activity in public parks through a variety of means, including this citywide park saturation. Approximately 30 officers, in addition to routine patrol shifts, will participate in the operation, which runs today and tomorrow.