It took multiple days for police to track down a man and a woman who allegedly robbed a gas station.
On June 27, Gallup Police Officers were dispatched to Speedway North, 701 U.S. Hwy. 491, because of a robbery. A store clerk gave Officer Dominic Molina a descriptions of a male and female suspect, but officers weren’t able to find anyone in their search of the area.
A day later on June 28, officers were called back to the gas station. The gas station’s manager told the officers that the man and woman involved in the previous night’s robbery were walking by the nearby Pizza Hut. The manager said the woman was wearing a blue jacket with black pants and the man was wearing a black beanie.
Officer Norman Bowman was able to locate the two people who matched the manager’s description. He was able to stop them and had them sit down on the curb. But soon after, the woman, who was identified as Katerri Vigil, ran off. The man, who was identified later as Darren James, also took off running.
Officers were eventually able to locate Vigil, 23, and James, 30. They arrested Vigil for an active warrant and drove James to Gallup Detox.
On June 29, Detective Victor Madrid drove back to the gas station to speak with the manager. According to Madrid’s report, the manager wasn’t at the store when the robbery happened, but when she watched the surveillance tape she recognized the two suspects. She said she didn’t know their real names, but she knew them because they came into the store a lot.
The manager said $74 was stolen from the store’s cash register.
When Madrid watched the surveillance video, he reportedly saw James put a drink down at the register. The store’s employee goes to open the cash register, and that’s when James reaches over the counter and starts to take money from the register. The employee tries to close the register, but he’s unsuccessful.
While James was taking money from the register, Vigil threw two items at the store employee. James and Vigil then leave the store running.
After he watched the surveillance video, Madrid went back to the Gallup Police Department to interview James.
James told Madrid that he and Vigil owed some people some money, and they decided to steal it from the gas station.
He said that they hadn’t had a plan when they entered the store, but that Vigil had just said “now” and that’s when he grabbed the money. He stated that they gave the money to the people they owed, and then they both took off running.
James and Vigil were both charged with robbery. Both of their preliminary hearings are scheduled for July 13.
Staff Reports
