UPDATE (July 17, 2019): The Blount County Sheriff's Office has captured two men wanted for armed robbery on July 10.
The BCSO said deputies took 19-year-old Emmanuel Trejo of Knoxville and 22-year-old Juan Sanchez of Powell into custody.
The two are suspected of robbing the La Lupita Mexican Store on East Broadway in Maryville on July 10.
Officers said a task force that included the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Knoxville Police Department, and U.S. Marshals Service conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in Knoxville that was believed to be the Mazda 6 used in the robbery. Officers said they pulled it over and took Trejo into custody.
Later Wednesday afternoon, a SWAT team with the Knox County Sheriff's Office and the BCSO executed a search warrant at Larkspur Lane in Knoxville and arrested Sanchez. Deputies said the vehicle as well as the knife and handgun used in the robbery were recovered.
“I am ecstatic that this case is solved and we are now able to start working toward getting justice for the victims of this robbery,” Blount County Sheriff James Lee Berrong said. “We’d like to thank everyone who assisted in this case. It was definitely due to the effort of many people and multiple law enforcement agencies and community businesses. We are very grateful for our relationships with our law enforcement partners.”
Trejo is being held on a $60,000 bond and will face a charge of aggravated robbery in Blount County General Sessions Court on July 24.
Sanchez is being held on bonds totaling $150,000 for aggravated robbery, three counts of vandalism and reckless endangerment. He will also face court on July 24.
ORIGINAL STORY (July 10, 2019):
The Blount County Sheriff's Office said it is offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to the capture of two armed robbery suspects.
No one was hurt after after the BCSO said two men robbed the La Lupita Mexican Store and Restaurant off Broadway in Maryville Wednesday around 7 p.m.
According to the sheriff's office, two Hispanic men robbed the store at gunpoint and left. One of the men was armed with a knife, and the other a gun.
The BCSO said one of the suspects was captured on camera wearing black jogging pants with a white stripe down the leg.
The BCSO said the two are believed to be driving in a dark blue or black Mazda 6 with black 5-slot mag rims and passenger side molding that appears to be missing. The rear tail lights are totally clear lenses.
The two are considered armed and dangerous, and deputies said if you encounter two who may be the suspects -- you should not approach them and should instead call 911 immediately.
Below is a picture of the car and one of the suspects taken from surveillance video:
Anyone with information can call Blount County Dispatch at 865-983-3620. You can also call Investigations at 865-273-5001, the 24-hour anonymous crime line at 865-273-5200, and you can leave a tip on the Text-a-Tip link at BCSO.com.
