A 22-year-old man, Malachi Salus, was arrested Thursday in connection with an armed robbery at Rocky Mountain Custom Jewelry and Loan in Centennial. Authorities say Salus entered the jewelry store around 4 p.m. on Monday, threatened an employee, and fled with stolen jewelry. Following an intense search, he was apprehended at a hotel in Colorado Springs by the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force and the Colorado Springs Police SWAT team.
Investigators also connected Salus to a bank robbery in Grand Junction on Oct. 22, leading to a second arrest warrant. Currently, Salus is in custody at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility on charges of aggravated robbery and theft. Rocky Mountain Custom Jewelry’s owner, Nick Bostedt, noted this was the first armed robbery his business has faced, though they recently experienced a break-in by gang members. Bostedt mentioned that Salus initially visited the store as a customer earlier that day, browsing jewelry for 15-20 minutes before the robbery. In an unusual moment, Salus reportedly apologized to store employee Dylan, explaining his family’s financial troubles as he left with the stolen items.
