SEVIER COUNTY, Utah, Nov. 25, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — New details have been released in the case of a California man arrested in Utah because of an Amber Alert issued out of Aurora, Colorado.
Charges against Navarro Nathaniel Cathey, who turns 42 on Saturday, only reflect suspected Utah crimes, and not any pending charges out of Colorado related to suspected child abduction or other related acts.
In Utah, Cathey faces charges of:
- Possession of a controlled substance, a class A misdemeanor
- Use or possession of drug paraphernalia, a class B misdemeanor
- Driving on a suspended or revoked license, a class C misdemeanor.
“An ATL (attempt to locate) was broadcast for an Amber Alert vehicle traveling westbound, Interstate 70 west of Green River,” says a probable cause statement filed by an officer of the Utah Highway Patrol Richfield office.
“The ATL stated they were pinging the alleged suspect’s phone. A vehicle description was given of an older Ford Crown Victoria painted black with California plate 8XMT336. I located the vehicle traveling westbound near milepost 63. We had a plan in place in case the vehicle fled and had tire spikes set up just down road.
“Once I was close to where the tire spikes were in place, I activated my emergency lights. The vehicle immediately pulled over and I approached the passenger side of the vehicle. I arrived at the back window, but due to the dark window tint, I couldn’t see inside the vehicle.”
The trooper knocked on the back passenger window and waited, the statement says.
“Once the window was rolled down I noticed a very young female laying across the back seat underneath a blanket, and she seemed like she was acting as if she was trying to hide.”
The girl was later determined to be the 13-year-old missing from Aurora, Colorado. An Aurora Police Department statement issued Wednesday said she was being returned to her family.
The officer made contact with the suspect, later confirmed to be Cathey, the trooper’s statement continues.
“I asked Mr. Cathey to exit the vehicle and moved around to the driver’s side as he
was exiting the vehicle. I asked Mr. Cathey to move to the rear of the vehicle where I placed him in handcuffs.
“When I asked Mr. Cathey if he had anything illegal on his person and he admitted to having some methamphetamine in his pocket. I later removed approximately 10 grams of a white crystalline substance consistent with methamphetamine. A vehicle search was later conducted at the Sevier County Jail Sally port where we located a methamphetamine pipe in the driver’s door.”
A records check revealed Cathey had a suspended/revoked California Driver’s License, the probable cause statement says.
“Navarro Cathey now has a Nationwide Extraditable Warrant just issued out of Colorado for ‘Sexual Exploitation of a Child, Internet Luring of a Child, and Internet Exploitation of a Child,'” it says.
