Two in custody after alleged kidnapping, robbery in Iron County

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Two people were taken into custody after they allegedly broke into a hotel room and took a man at gunpoint to withdraw money from ATMs at two Iron County gas stations.

According to a probable cause statement, police were dispatched to a Maverik gas station on reports of a man with a gun over the weekend.

Officers said they located a live 9mm round in the parking lot before they were dispatched to a nearby Love’s gas station on a second report of a man with a gun.

Two people have been taken into custody after allegedly breaking into a Cedar City hotel room, holding a victim at gunpoint and trying to force him to take money out of ATMs at two gas stations. #KSLTV pic.twitter.com/AJMw0QeHGM

— Tamara Vaifanua (@TamaraVaifanua) December 6, 2021

At the Love’s station, officers said they located the victim, who told them the suspects stole his cell phone. The victim told police the suspects broke into the hotel room he was staying in and took him to the gas stations to force him to withdraw money from ATMs.

According to court documents, investigators obtained surveillance images of the suspects inside Love’s with the victim. Officers then discovered where the suspects, Avery Holyelkface, 35, and Stewart Lanza, 53, were staying.

Investigators said they located both men at that address and Holyelkface “admitted that he went to confront the victim about money that was owed to (his) friend and (he) drove the victim to Maverik and the Love’s station to get the money.”

Officers said they also located the gun inside a refrigerator in the residence, along with the victim’s cell phone and a magazine with live ammunition in it.

Both Holyelkface and Lanza were booked into the Iron County Jail Sunday morning on charges of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, burglary of a dwelling, theft and aggravated assault.