Palmer man held for robbery

A Palmer man was arrested Thursday night about an hour after he allegedly held up the assistant manager of Arbys restaurant.

John David Cancel, 18, was charged with first-degree robbery, third-degree assault and second-degree theft after Alaska State Troopers stopped a vehicle matching the description of the getaway car.

Police dispatchers received a report of a robbery in progress at approximately 8:18 p.m. Thursday. Wasilla police officers responded to the restaurant where the assistant manager, Nancy Andersen, gave them a description of a young masked man who entered the store with a reportedly loaded weapon beneath his coat and ordered her to empty the restaurant safe and two cash registers, according to charging documents.

Anderson said the thief put part of the money into a green duffel bag and the rest in his pants pocket, according to charging documents.

The masked robber kept the gun concealed under a green coat, Andersen reportedly told police officers, but he told her it was loaded. An Arbys employee identified the gun as a shotgun, according to the records.

Approximately one hour later, after a locate request had been sent out to all departments, troopers pulled over a white Subaru with distinctive pink marks on the door and identified the passenger as Cancel, police reports said.

The green coat and tan face mask were in plain view inside the vehicle, according to court documents, and Cancel reportedly admitted he took the money from Arbys.

Cancel was arrested and remanded to Mat-Su Pre-Trial Facility in lieu of $25,000 cash bail. He faces up to 30 years in prison and $150,000 in fines if convicted.