Around 6:35 Tuesday night, Cheyenne Police Officers were dispatched to a robbery with a knife at Maverik gas station located at 3315 North College Drive. Officers arrived to find that a shoplifting had taken place rather than a robbery.
According to statements, a male suspect wearing a grey sweatshirt, mask, and backpack entered the business, took a pack of cigarettes from behind the counter, and left without paying.
A community member saw the male run out of the gas station and thought it looked suspicious. The person contacted dispatch to relay information about his description and location.
An officer in the area was able to locate the suspect, later identified as 22-year-old Kegan Dawdy, a transient, walking near the intersection of Cleveland Avenue and Bevans Street and took him into custody without incident. He was booked into the Laramie County Jail on charges of theft.
Shortly after Dawdy was detained, pedestrians flagged down officers and informed them that they saw a male drop a backpack under a tree near the 3700 block of Cleveland Ave. Officers were able to recover the abandoned backpack and found it was filled with cigarettes, a mask, and a grey sweatshirt.
This incident resembles a string of thefts and robberies that have occurred at the gas station over the past month. Police are continuing to investigate these crimes and welcome new information related to them or Dawdy.
“I want to commend the citizens involved in this case for taking quick action to assist our officers,” said Chief Mark Francisco. “Their fast notification made it possible for officers to locate the suspect almost immediately. Our community partnerships play an important role in keeping everyone safe.”