June 18, 2022 - Merced – On June 17, 2022, at approximately 2:51 P.M., Merced Police received a call about an attempted carjacking at Burger Time located at 661 W. 16th St. in Merced. A woman 
finished eating at the establishment and was walking out to her vehicle when she was approached by the suspect who was armed with a butter knife. The suspect demanded the keys to the woman’s vehicle. Out of fear the woman turned the keys over to the suspect. An onlooker brandished a firearm at the suspect who quickly fled the area.
Officer Jesus Lopez was taking the report when Officer Brian Laguna located the suspect nearby and arrested him. The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Nicholas Sell. Suspect is on parole out of Fresno County.
Officer Manual Mendoza took a robbery report earlier in the day at Walgreens located at 3098 G St. in Merced. Officer Mendoza worked with the other officers and was able to obtain enough information from Sell to find clothing and the bicycle that he used in the Walgreens robbery.
Sell ultimately admitted to both crimes and said he was at Burger Time buying food with the money he stole from Walgreens. Sell was booked into the Merced County Jail for attempted carjacking and robbery.
Merced Police are asking anyone with any information regarding this incident to contact Detective Ray Valadez at (209) 388-7829 or by email at valadezr@cityofmerced.org.
Case Number: 22-35851 and 22-35805
Other ways to contact us or report crime include:
For any emergency call or text 911
For non-emergency call 209-385-6912
Anonymous Tip Line (Non-emergency) call 209-385-4725
Anonymous Tips online at http://www.mercedareacrimestoppers.org/index.html.
Some crimes can be reported online through the Merced PD website https://www.cityofmerced.org/departments/police.
Source: Merced Police Department
