Man accused of robbing Hunan Chinese restaurant in Cortez – The Journal

Man allegedly stole money from the cash register while the restaurant was closed

A man is accused of robbing the Hunan Chinese restaurant in east Cortez and stealing $40 to $50 from the cash register.

Cortez police Officer Jacob Bourdon said he arrived at the scene at Hunan Chinese Restaurant, 2561 East Main Street, around 9 a.m. Tuesday and met the owner, Qing Qiu.

Qui told Bourdon that an alarm went off on her phone around 8:10 a.m. alerting her to a possible problem at the restaurant. She went to the restaurant to see what was going on and told Bourdon her surprise that the alarm had not notified Cortez headquarters.

Qui showed Bourdon the restaurant's surveillance footage. The video showed the suspect, later identified as Jeremiah Maestas, attempting to open the restaurant's front door before opening a window south of the main door.

After climbing inside, he allegedly went to the cash register, pulled a yellow box from under the register, and filled it with all the coins in the register. Qui told Bourdon that she believes the suspect stole $40 to $50.

Throughout the theft, the man attempted to conceal his identity by pulling his sweatshirt over his face. He then exited the building through the same window, dropping several coins.

In the video, police noticed identifying features of the suspect: There was a tattoo of an anatomical hand bone structure on his left hand, and on his right hand was what Bourdon believed to be a crown or “similar pointed object.”

When Bourdon returned to the police station, he was informed that the tattoos seen on the surveillance footage matched those of Maestas, who police had previously contacted about “similar crimes.”

Police went to Maesta's last known residence but learned that he no longer lives there.

Later, during his routine patrol, Bourdon saw three people in the 400 block of South Market Street, and Maestas was allegedly part of the group.

When Bourdon exited his vehicle, Maestas allegedly ran into one of the houses on South Market Street, where his companions verified Bourdon's identity.

The owner of the home Maestas entered told police that Maestas went in and then left through the back door. Police searched the home with the owner's permission and confirmed that Maestas had left.

The owner told Bourdon he would contact him if Maestas returned. The owner's wife said, according to police, that she spoke to Maestas on the phone and told him to return to the house. But he did not return, at least not while Bourdon was present.

Bourdon said he would seek an arrest warrant for Maestas on second-degree burglary charges. The magazine is waiting for confirmation from the Cortez Police Department that an arrest warrant has been issued.

Copy article link