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Iowa City man arrested after gas station robbery
Lee Hermiston
Sep. 16, 2019 9:02 am, Updated: Sep. 16, 2019 10:39 pm
IOWA CITY - An Iowa City man is accused of robbing a convenience store while armed with a knife.
Alexander M. Torres, 29, entered the BP gas station at 1920 Lower Muscatine Rd. around 2 a.m. Monday, grabbed a Mountain Dew, cigarettes and a bag of Funyuns, and attempted to steal them, according to an Iowa City police criminal complaint.
The clerk saw what happened and followed Torres outside. When confronted, Torres displayed a metal baton about 2.5 feet long, police said. After clerk grabbed the baton, Torres reached for a knife in a holster, police said.
Police said the clerk gathered the items and told Torres to leave. Torres later returned for his bike. The clerk told police he saw Torres looking inside the gas station and opening the door. The clerk yelled at Torres and chased him while calling the police.
Responding officers found Torres in a tree nearby, police said. He still was carrying the knife.
Torres was arrested and faces one count of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony punishable by up to 25 years in prison.
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