17-year-old jailed in AutoZone robbery, beating

By Gary Harmon
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

A 17-year-old boy is being held in connection with a robbery and beating of an employee at the Clifton AutoZone, 3201 U.S. Highway 6&24, the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department said.

Chad Michael Marez was chased down by deputy sheriffs who surrounded the building after an employee fled the armed robbery and called authorities.

When Marez ran out of the back door of the store, deputies overtook him as he ran south toward the railroad tracks, the sheriff’s department said.

An employee who was still inside the store was struck several times with a rubber mallet, causing minor injuries, the department said.

Marez is being held at the Grand Mesa Youth Services Center in connection with multiple charges, including aggravated robbery, first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, menacing and obstructing a police officer.