Police: Man arrested after robbery, crash near Strip hotel

By Kailyn Brown

Published Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 | 12:21 p.m.

Updated Friday, Aug. 5, 2016 | 4:22 p.m.

A man who robbed a convenience store and shot at an officer was arrested today after crashing his getaway vehicle near a Las Vegas Strip hotel, according to Metro Police.

The incident unfolded about 3:10 a.m. when officers responded to a report of an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven in the 3600 block of Maryland Parkway, Officer Jesse Roybal said.

The robber, armed with a handgun, fired one shot into the ceiling and ordered two clerks to give him cash from the register, Lt. Glen Lowe said. The gunman fled with cash and one of the clerk’s wallets, but nobody was injured, Lowe said.

Two customers walking into the store saw what happened and called 911, Lowe said. They reported that the man drove off in a tan Chevrolet Tahoe, he said.

A patrol officer spotted the speeding SUV in the area and began following it while waiting for backup, Lowe said. The man then pointed a handgun toward the officer and fired twice, striking the officer’s vehicle once, Lowe said.

The officer, who did not return fire, was not hurt, Lowe said.

"The officer was lucky that he wasn’t struck also, but it just shows the sacrifices that officers make every day," Lowe said. "The guy was a very violent felon, and he was willing to shoot at the police to get away."

A Metro air unit, meanwhile, followed the SUV to where it crashed into landscaping on the south side of the Wynn Las Vegas, off Sands Avenue, police said. Officers coordinated with hotel security to find 23-year-old Lawrence Manriquez, police said.

No patrons at the hotel were in danger, Lowe said.

Manriquez was booked at the Clark County Detention Center, where he faces counts of robbery, burglary, attempted murder of a police officer, battery, discharging a firearm into an occupied structure and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.