Nearing the Anniversary of 9/11, an off-duty firefighter, a concealed weapon permit holder, and a hotel employee thwarted a burglary in progress and assisted law enforcement in locating the suspect.  Martin Emil Sunter, 25, was arrested and booked at the Carbon County Jail. Formal charges have been referred to the Carbon County Attorney’s Office.

On September 10, around 2210 hours, law enforcement was called to the Holiday Inn on a report of a robbery in progress. The suspect had entered the Holiday Inn wearing sunglasses and a mask and waited for the employee to leave the cash register area before opening the register and retrieving the cash inside.

The employee heard the register open and she and a customer of the hotel (who is an off-duty firefighter), engaged the suspect as the suspect tried exiting the hotel. The two fought and wrestled with the suspect who was holding and an undisclosed amount of cash in his hand. Another citizen, who had a concealed weapon permit, drew his firearm and ordered the suspect to the ground.

The suspect initially complied but then saw an opportunity and took off running in the opposite direction. The firefighter chased the suspect across the street and followed the suspect until law enforcement arrived. The firefighter pointed law enforcement in the direction of the suspect who was taken into custody.

Price City Police are always grateful for vigilant citizens who report criminal activity and are willing to assist law enforcement. We are grateful for those actions taken by all involved, as without their help locating the suspect would have been much more difficult. With that said, we prefer citizens to be vigilant witnesses rather than putting themselves in harm’s way.