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Alleged Vikings fan thrown in the slammer

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Clerk blasts thief with pepper spray

Richard Augustine Mazon, 33, messed with the wrong clerk when he allegedly attempted to rob the Alon gas station, 550 U.S. 491, on the evening of Oct. 16.

According to Gallup Police Officer Dominic Molina’s report, the clerk said a man wearing distinctive clothing – a black-hooded sweater, blue jeans, white shoes, and a mask – brazenly walked behind the counter and demanded money from him.

The clerk told Molina that the man, now identified as Mazon, said, “Give me the money or [I am] going to shoot you … you have to the count of 5 or [I am] going to shoot you.”

Mazon allegedly began the countdown, but didn’t reveal a weapon to the clerk. The only thing in his hand was a black bag to stash the stolen cash. But his plans were about to be thwarted. In a moment of clever deceit, the clerk pretended to reach for the money in the cash drawer, but grabbed pepper spray instead, blasting Mazon.

The failed-thief ran out of the store, empty handed. According to an eyewitness, Mazon made his way to the east side of the building where he jumped into a silver Chevy Cruze. The witness was able to give a detailed description of the vehicle and Mazon’s clothing.

Police confirmed the clerk’s story and the suspect’s description by watching store surveillance video of the botched robbery. Molina noted in his report that video footage revealed that Mazon fell in front of his car before he fled the scene.

Meanwhile, within a few hours, GPD Detective Neil Yazzie located the suspect’s vehicle traveling north on Second Street from West Wilson Avenue. Yazzie and another officer pulled the vehicle over, and conducted a “high risk traffic stop,” in which police use an intercom and ask a suspect deemed dangerous to slowly step out of the vehicle.

Mazon was still wearing the Vikings hat and clothing that he donned during the robbery attempt.

As of Oct. 20, Mazon is still in custody at the McKinley County Adult Detention Center. He’s being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond.

By Babette Herrmann
Sun Editor