A man was arrested Friday in Cortez on a warrant for allegedly robbing a Walmart cash register at gunpoint the week before.
According to incident reports from the Cortez Police Department, the suspect had threatened a cashier with a handgun just after midnight on Dec. 2, and stolen more than $1,000 in cash. A Walmart employee said she had recognized the man as a former employee, and police requested a warrant for his arrest. The suspect, William Nez, was arrested at the same Walmart on Dec. 8.
The reporting employee claimed a man had brought a compound bow valued at $398 to his cash register. But when the cashier rang up the bow for sale, the man reportedly covered his face with a scarf, put a red bag on the counter and told the cashier to fill it with all the money in the register. He then opened up his coat and showed the cashier a handgun holstered beneath his armpit, according to the report.
Including the price of the bow, the total amount reported stolen from the store was $1,530.01.
The cashier described the man as a Native American man between 20 and 30 years old, with long hair, a long coat, a cowboy hat and thick, black-rimmed glasses. Another employee reportedly said she had seen a man who fit that description walking around the store with his face uncovered before the incident, and recognized him as Nez, who had worked for the store previously. According to a report by Cortez police officer Ryan McCluney, responding officers confirmed the employees’ stories by looking at the store’s surveillance video and requested a warrant for Nez.
Nez was arrested about a week later at Walmart after employees reported he was in the electronics section. According to a report by officer Rogelio Maynard, police arrested him without incident at 9:57 p.m.
Walmart staff declined to comment on the robbery.
Charges are scheduled to be filed against Nez in Montezuma County District Court on Dec. 20.