Salt Lake robbery detectives on Tuesday were investigating two weekend robberies, one at an east-side restaurant in which $4,000 was taken, and the other at a west-side convenience store.
Two men entered the Ponderosa at 2085 E. 21st South, brandishing pump-action shotguns, according to a police report. The pair, who entered the restaurant through the back door, ordered two clerks to lie on the floor and handcuffed them to a metal pole.A third clerk was ordered to knock on the door to the supervisor's office, and when the bandits entered the office they ripped the phone from the wall, the report said.
One of the robbers put a shotgun to the supervisor's head and ordered him to open the safe, the report said.
"These were long-barreled shotguns, which is unusual." Most robbers saw off the barrel, robbery Sgt. Bill Abbott said Monday.
The two were described as white males, 19 to 20 years old. They fled the restaurant on foot after the 11:50 p.m. Saturday robbery, the report said.
A clerk at the Circle K on Fifth South and 17th West said she was in the corner of the convenience store early Sunday morning when a male wearing a brown ski mask entered the store and pointed a small automatic handgun at her, a police report said.
The bandit ordered the woman to hand over the cash from the register and then fled after she told him no key was available for the safe, the report said. It was later determined $65 was taken.