ST. GEORGE — A 20-year-old St. George man was charged with first-degree felony robbery following an incident over the weekend set in motion by a fake social media ad, a pair of Nike Air Jordan shoes and $200 in cash that was allegedly taken from a 13-year-old using force.
The suspect, 20-year-old Jose Daniel Vazquez-Mendoza, was arrested Thursday afternoon and booked into jail facing first-degree felony robbery following an incident that began shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday. The incident involved a pair of Nike Air Jordan tennis shoes that were posted on Facebook Marketplace.
In the advertisement, police say, the seller was listed under the name of “Jose Vazquez,” according to charging documents filed in support of the arrest.
A juvenile saw the ad and contacted the purported seller, Mendoza, the report states, and arrangements were made for the juvenile to purchase the shoes for $200 in cash. The youth said he would also bring a pair of his own Nike shoes that were a different style as part of the deal.
The youth arrived at the meeting place and was confronted by Mendoza, who allegedly took the shoes and cash that was hidden in one of the sneakers before reportedly shoving the victim to the ground. The suspect then fled the area in a blue passenger car.
Officers also learned there were several other individuals in the car at the time.
Though the course of the investigation, officers obtained information that led them to suspect Mendoza who placed the ad on social media, and on Thursday, a patrolman located the blue passenger car as described by the witnesses near an apartment complex on South 700 East in St. George.
“I could see a female driving the car,” the officer noted. “And I saw that Jose was the front passenger.”
The report also states that while speaking to police, Mendoza allegedly admitted to taking part in the robbery, saying it was part of a “back and forth” fight between two local gangs – which authorities say are primarily juveniles that have been “burglarizing and stealing cars, shooting at houses, stealing guns, assaulting each other and other felonious activities,” the officer wrote.
The suspect told officers the Nike shoes taken during the robbery did not fit anyone, so he took them home and put them in the closet. Investigators found them later during a search of the suspect’s apartment. The cash, however, was not recovered.
In reference to gang-related crimes and criminal activity, St. George Police Officer Tiffany Mitchell said that while there are crimes committed by “these groups,” there is another side to the equation – which involves the work ethic of the detectives in St. George.
“Their tenacity and meticulous attention to detail is unmatched,” Mitchell said. “And is what leads to a thorough investigation – which is a critical component in bringing those responsible to justice.”
Following the arrest Wednesday, Mendoza was booked into jail in Washington County and formal charges were filed the following day. He remains in custody on a no-bail hold.
This report is based on statements from court records, police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
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