Man arrested in attempted robbery in downtown Modesto

A man was arrested in downtown Modesto Tuesday night after he allegedly tried to rob a couple sitting in a car with their two young children.

The couple was parked in front of apartments in the 1400 block of I Street just before 11 p.m.; their 2-year-old and 2-month old children also were in the car.

The suspect approached the car and demanded the cell phone of the man sitting in the driver’s seat, said Modesto Police Department spokeswoman Heather Graves.

The man began yelling for help and the suspect ran away. Police arrived and the victims pointed them to the suspect who was across the street at McClatchy Park.

Officers found him there and, under the threat of being bitten by police dog Kai, he surrendered.

Marcos Vega, 36, was arrested on suspicion of attempted robbery and child endangerment.

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 4:34 PM with the headline "Man arrested in attempted robbery in downtown Modesto."