SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Oct. 11, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill has announced charges filed against Cesar Omar Perez for his alleged fleeing from law enforcement resulting in the death of a motorist.
On Oct. 2, Perez was at Fairbourne Park with another person when they were approached by West Valley Police Department officers.
“As officers approached, they smelled the distinct odor of marijuana and observed a male, identified as Mr. Perez, holding a burning marijuana cigarette,” says a news release issued by Gill’s Office. “While speaking to officers, Mr. Perez seemed very anxious and shared that he was recently robbed and did not have his ID. He had in his possession a backpack and an orange metal pipe. The defendant kept touching the metal pipe and officers asked if they could do a pat-down for officer safety. At that point, the defendant ran away from the officers.
“Officers were alerted that the defendant had stolen an electrical work truck and was fleeing. A witness attempted to prevent the theft of the truck and was hanging on to the driver-side window as the defendant drove away. The witness stated he was afraid to let go for fear of falling under the rear wheel. The witness stated he had no choice and fell from the vehicle, suffering minor injuries to his shoulder and elbow.”
The defendant continued to flee, hitting another truck after failing to navigate a turn due to the defendant’s high speed, the statement says.
“Officers lost sight of the defendant but were subsequently flagged down by a citizen on the location of the defendant. Police approached the truck, believing that it had been abandoned. As officers moved closer, the defendant put the truck into reverse and rammed the front driver-side door of a police vehicle. The defendant then pulled into a driveway before reversing again into another police vehicle.
“As the defendant fled, he began driving the wrong direction on a one-way road. Two vehicles were able to avoid a collision with the defendant, but a third vehicle, driven by Nancy Arbon, was hit head-on by the defendant. Ms. Arbon was Life Flighted to a local hospital in very serious condition, ultimately passing away from the injuries sustained in the collision.”
Perez is now charged with:
- Murder, a first-degree felony
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
- Two counts of assault on a police officer resulting in injury, a second-degree felony
- Two counts of failure to respond to officer’s signal to stop, a third-degree felony
- Failure to stop at the command of a law officer, a class B misdemeanor
- Possession of a controlled substances, a class B misdemeanor
- Accident involving property damage, a class B misdemeanor
The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office filed two additional cases against the defendant from screening materials presented to the office on Oct. 5 and 9 of this year, the statement says.
“The first is related to an alleged road rage incident in Sandy on Sept. 8, 2024 and the second is an alleged burglary in Salt Lake City that occurred on Oct. 1, 2024.”
Gill said the death of Arbon was “an entirely preventable tragedy.
“The defendant put many lives at risk with his actions, and ultimately took the life of another. Ms. Arbon’s life was cut short by this carelessness. Our hearts go out to her family and loved ones.
“As we work through this process, we are grateful for the officers that put themselves in harm’s way to prevent an even larger tragedy.”
All persons accused of wrongdoing are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
A GoFundMe page paid tribute to Arbon.
“Our beautiful sweet Nancy was tragically killed in an automobile accident Wednesday morning (October 2nd). Our family is heartbroken and devastated by her sudden death. Nancy had such a beautiful fun-loving soul. When she talked to you she would always ask how you are and make you smile. Nancy had so much love and care for everyone she met.”
To read tributes from her friends, see Arbon’s obituary.
