BOUNTIFUL, Utah - Police are asking for the public’s help in finding the man they believe robbed a convenience store at gunpoint in September.
This week, a judge issued a warrant for 20-year-old Falealea Maka. Police say it was Maka who appears on surveillance video from September 5, pointing a gun at the clerk of the Maverik convenience store near 100 South and 200 West in Bountiful. The same suspect is accused of trying to rob a father and son at their home in another area of town.
“[The suspect] held a man at gunpoint, held his father at gunpoint, demanded money,” said Bountiful police Lt. Dave Edwards. “These people yelled for help, another neighbor responded with a handgun, and came out to their rescue.”
Edwards said detectives followed up on several leads in the case, trying to identify the suspect, but eventually detectives obtained a photo of Maka, wearing the same pants as the suspect in the video. Edwards said witnesses also positively identified Maka as the suspect.
“I was pretty amazed that our detectives could locate that, really tying our suspect to the crime,” Edwards said.
Officers have looked for Maka, but so far haven’t been able to locate him. They believe he may be either in Utah, or California. Maka has familial ties to the Oakland area.
“Our concern is if we don’t get him located, there could be another robbery, a shooting, or potentially a loss of life in this type of violent crime,” Edwards said.
Edwards said Maka should be considered armed and dangerous. Anyone who sees him or who knows where he may be, is asked to call 911 or their local police department.
