Three Tooele County men are charged with felonies in connection with a robbery that occurred in January.
Benjamin Adams, 20, of Tooele; Christopher Bettcher, 20, of Grantsville and Dalton Romero, 23, of Tooele are each charged with first-degree felony aggravated robbery, third-degree felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor theft.
The charges against Adams, Bettcher and Romero were submitted after the robbery was brought to light during a missing person investigation in January, according to Tooele City police reports connected to the case. The missing person in the case was an alleged victim in the robbery case.
About a week before the missing person report was filed, Bettcher called the male victim for a ride due to the weather, according to the victim’s girlfriend, who was present at the time, the police report said. As they drove past Elton Park, Bettcher told the victim to pull into the parking lot so his sister could pick him up.
After they parked, the victim’s girlfriend said another vehicle pulled into the parking lot and two men got out, according to the police report. One of the men got into the vehicle and the other opened the driver side door and punched the male victim, the girlfriend said.
According to the victim’s girlfriend, one of the assailants pulled out a gun — described as a small black pistol — and pointed it at the male victim’s head, the police report said. The men, identified by the victim’s girlfriend as Romero and Adams, demanded whatever the victim had, took his cell phone then left.
The victim’s girlfriend said they did not report the robbery due to concerns of retaliation, the police report said. She said she was able to identify Romero and Adams despite the fact they wore bandanas over their faces.
After speaking with the girlfriend of the victim, Grantsville City police officers were able to pick up Bettcher for questioning, the report said. Bettcher admitted to being there for the robbery, but said he did not set up the meeting.
In his interview with police, Bettcher identified Romero and Adams as the assailants, the police report said. He said Romero pointed the gun at the victim’s head and they were wearing black bandanas over their faces.
Bettcher also told police he and Romero told the victim “to give them everything he had,” according to the report. When the alleged assailants told Bettcher to go with them, he got out of the car and ran off.
Romero was later picked up at his home by Adult Probation and Parole investigators and Tooele City police detectives and brought to the department for an interview, the police report said. He told police he hadn’t seen Adams for a while before admitting he went with Adams to Elton Park the night of the robbery.
Romero told police Adams went to the victim’s car and asked for money, and then Romero got out of the car, the police report said. He said Adams punched the victim in the face and demanded everything he had, taking the victim’s phone and a cigarette.
When asked about the gun identified by the victim’s girlfriend and Bettcher, Romero said he didn’t have a gun, according to the police report. Romero then said Adams had an airsoft gun with him at the time.
Romero also told police that Bettcher set up the meeting at Elton Park after Adams alleged the victim had taken money from him, the police report said.
Adams was also brought in for questioning by Tooele City police and said he planned to fight the victim but things got out of hand, the report said. He told police he walked up to the victim’s car, opened the door and punched him in the face but then walked away following the altercation.
When police said they had spoken with Romero, Adams again said things got out of hand but did not admit to anything besides punching the victim, according to the police report. He said Bettcher had arranged the meet up where the victim was attacked.
Based on the reports, the Tooele City Police Department forwarded charges for aggravated robbery to the Tooele County Attorney’s office.
Adams and Bettcher are scheduled to make their initial appearances in 3rd District Court on April 17 at 10:28 a.m. before Judge Robert Adkins. Romero is expected back in court for a roll call hearing on April 11 at 9 a.m. before Adkins.