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70-year-old Salem man arrested, charged in armed deli robbery

A Salem man faces charges related to an armed robbery at Cooper’s Deli in northeast Salem on Thursday.

Danny Kay Alston, 70, was charged Tuesday with first-degree robbery with a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm in Marion County Circuit Court, according to court documents.

The Salem Police Department received a “hold-up” alarm from Cooper’s Deli around 1 a.m., where they saw Alston exit the deli and walk In the officers’ directions, a Tuesday news release said. He quickly turned when he saw the officers and went in the opposite directions.

Following a brief chase, Alston complied with commands and police arrested him, finding a loaded .22 caliber pistol in his possession.

“Officers reviewed store video surveillance and confirmed Alston had robbed the deli,” the news release said. Police recovered the stolen property and returned it to its owners.

Alston was lodged at the Marion County Correctional Facility. His arraignment was scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Marion County Circuit Court Annex.

Alston previously pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery in Josephine County in 2001 and was sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison, according to court records.

Correction: This article was updated to correct a reference to Alston’s last name. Salem Reporter apologizes for the error.

-Ardeshir Tabrizian