An Ogden man accused of robbing a Wendover, Utah taco stand pleaded no-contest to aggravated assault and theft, both third-degree felonies, in 3rd District Court on Tuesday.
As part of the plea deal with the state, Manuel Ramblano Sanchez, Jr., 19, agreed to enter a no-contest plea on the two charges to have charges of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, attempted murder, a second-degree felony, and reckless endangerment, a misdemeanor, dismissed.
The theft charge was also upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony as part of the deal.
If sentenced to consecutive terms, Sanchez could serve up to 10 years in the Utah State Prison.
Sanchez and Alfredo Morales-Moreno, 29, of West Valley City, were involved in the July 2, 2014 robbery at Taco El Brasero.
Shortly after midnight, the pair entered the restaurant and demanded the cash box and the cashier’s wallet, according to a probable cause statement. One of the men used a stun gun on a worker and the other fired a handgun near another employee’s head.
According to the statement, the two men then fled in a white Dodge Charger but were pursued by a restaurant employee. The suspects fired on the pursuing vehicle, who rammed the Charger twice, according to the statement.
Sanchez and Morales-Moreno fled to Interstate 80, where troopers from the Utah Highway Patrol stopped them, according to the statement.
A total of $578 and some foreign money were found in the vehicle, according to the probable cause statement.
Morales-Moreno received a continuance on his preliminary hearing on Feb. 10 and will be in court again on March 24 at 1:30 p.m.