Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- Mario Lopez, 36, of St. George, has been charged with aggravated robbery and other felonies.
- Lopez allegedly planned an aggravated robbery, involving $90,000, with Dennis Solares-Garcia.
- Solares-Garcia, an MS-13 gang member, used an airsoft gun in the crime, police say.
ST. GEORGE — The second of two men has been charged with robbing approximately $90,000 from a St. George check cashing business.
Mario Lopez, 39, of St. George, was charged Monday in 5th District Court with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; plus theft and obstruction, second-degree felonies.
In January, Dennis Solares-Garcia was charged with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony; theft, a second-degree felony; and aggravated assault, a third-degree felony.
On Jan. 30, a check cashing business on Sunset Boulevard in St. George was robbed at gunpoint.
"The suspect, while walking behind (the employee), pulled out a black pistol and put it into her right side and told her to give him all the money they had or that he was going to kill her. The victim opened up the office and began getting cash for the suspect. The suspect pulled out a blue bag and directed the victim to put all the money into the bag. The victim put approximately $90,000 into the bag," according to a police booking affidavit.
Solares-Garcia was identified as the gunman in the robbery. He is an MS-13 gang member who was previously deported from the United States, according to the U.S. Marshals Service's Nevada Violent Offender Task Force. Solares-Garcia was later arrested in Las Vegas.
Through their investigation, police learned that after the robbery, Solares-Garcia was picked up about a block away by someone in a truck. That vehicle was later linked to Lopez, the affidavit states. Surveillance video also allegedly showed that Lopez was in the check cashing business approximately 15 minutes before Solares-Garcia.
"It was learned through the interviews in the investigation that Mr. Lopez was involved in planning the robbery and played an active role in casing the scene prior to the robbery. Mr. Solares owed money to Mr. Lopez and Mr. Solares was going to be cut off financially from Mr. Lopez if he did not commit the robbery. Mr. Solares admitted the firearm used was merely an airsoft gun and that it belonged to Mr. Lopez," police wrote in the affidavit.
After the robbery, Lopez drove Solares-Garcia to Mesquite, Nevada, and then continued to Las Vegas, according to police. He was stopped by officers as he was driving back to St. George.
