SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 13, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Two robbery suspects are in custody Monday night after leading police on a chase that ended in downtown Salt Lake City in front of the Vivint Home Arena.
The suspects, booked into the Salt Lake County Jail, are Isaiah Jones, 19 for two counts of aggravated robbery, fleeing and resisting arrest and Tristan Walker, 20, for two counts of aggravated robbery, said West Valley City Police Department spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku in a news release.
Two others who were questioned were released with charges to be screened.
West Valley City police, Salt Lake City police and the U.S. Marshal’s Office were involved in apprehending the suspects.
Police believe the men are responsible for at least three robberies in the past three days, and as many as five robberies in the past week. A major concern was that the level of violence was escalating with each incident and a shot had been fired at a clerk in the robbery of a CVS Pharmacy.
The suspects were considered armed and dangerous.
Officers were surveilling a house in Salt Lake City on Monday night when the suspects’ vehicle pulled up. The men tried to evade capture and led police on a chase that generally maintained speeds of 40-45 mph, but ran red lights through downtown Salt Lake.
The chase ended when the suspects crashed their vehicle, hitting two vans and a passenger car in the process. Two of those vehicles carried single passengers, the third carried six elderly people. Nobody was injured in the crash.
Dozens of police cars were on the scene as traffic was sealed off on 300 West and South Temple.
The news release said throughout the early morning hours of Tuesday, West Valley City Police investigators developed further information regarding the whereabouts of suspects.
At approximately 4 a.m., WVCPD, with assistance from Salt Lake County Metro Gang Unit, made contact with people in two rooms at a motel on 600 S. 200 West. Evidence of a crime was observed and the process of securing a search warrant for the rooms was initiated. During this process, two robbery suspects and another person showed up at the motel. All three people attempted to flee the scene, but after a brief foot pursuit, were safely detained by police. One of the suspects was in possession of a loaded firearm.
The two robbery suspects were transported to WVCPD for questioning.
