Man Accused Of Robbing Cell Phone Store, Beating Employee: Police

PHOENIX, AZ — An employee at a cell phone store was beaten Saturday in an attack during a robbery that police called savage.

The 22-year-old woman was bleeding from a cut on her face when police arrived at the scene around 5:15 p.m. Saturday near 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road, police said.

With help from the public, police identified the suspected robber as Michael Cook, who was arrested on suspicion of robbery, aggravated assault and burglary, according to jail records. He is being held in Maricopa County Jail on $100,000 bond.

Cook is accused of going into the store early Saturday evening and punching and kicking the employee several times. She ran to a nearby business to call for help, while Cook is suspected of leaving on foot, along with merchandise he stole from the store, police said.

Police publicly released surveillance video of the suspected robber in hopes that someone could identify him, and they soon received several tips identifying him as Cook, police said. He was arrested a short time later.