HPD

At 12:35 a.m. Saturday, the Hays Police Department received a report that a 20-year-old male was at the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the face and that he had been a victim of a robbery. The incident reportedly took place in the victim’s motel room located in the 3400 block of Vine Street.

The victim reported that two males knocked on his door, and when he opened the door the two males forced their way into his room at gun point. The two males took the victim’s wallet and a .45 caliber handgun. During the robbery, the victim was reportedly held down and shot in the face with a CO2 powered handgun, causing the victim to seek medical treatment.

During the course of the investigation, information was obtained that helped the police department to locate the suspects at an apartment complex in the 1300 block of East 33rd Street. The City of Hays Special Situation Response Team served a search warrant at that location and arrested the two males without incident. The victim’s wallet, cash, and both guns were recovered.

Dean Joseph Manning, 26, and Pascual Rueda Guzman, 22, have both been arrested for aggravated battery and aggravated robbery. Both are being held in the Ellis County jail and are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The Hays Police Department said in a news release this was not a random act of violence and that the victim was acquainted with at least one suspect. The suspects had gone to the motel room in an effort to recover property that allegedly had been stolen earlier in the week.

If anyone has any additional information about this robbery, contact Investigator Jeff Ridgway at the Hays Police Department at (785) 625-1030.