SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 20, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Metro Gang Unit detectives were pretty sure they had the wanted fugitive they were after when they saw him and two other men in a stolen Mercedes late Tuesday night.
Unified Police Lt. Ken Malone said the detectives, in unmarked cars, decided to follow the Mercedes for awhile.
Starting out from Wiley Post Way and Wright Brothers Drive just west of Salt Lake International Airport, they followed the stolen car through South Salt Lake and into Murray.
That’s where the driver and one of the men left the Mercedes and were picked up by another vehicle.
Police believe the fugitive went off on his own at that point, because he wasn’t in the Mercedes, and he wasn’t in the other car when officers pulled it over near 600 North and 800 West.
Malone said police didn’t get the suspect they were looking for, but they did arrest the man who had been driving the Mercedes for possession of a stolen vehicle.
They also took two other people — a man and a woman — into custody. They were later released.
Police at the scene said the men had called the woman and asked her to come pick them up. She apparently was unaware of any illegal activity.
Malone said officers from Salt Lake City, Utah Highway Patrol, and the Metro Gang Unit worked together on this case.
A witness said at least 25 officers were at the scene when the arrest was made.
Everything went down with no injuries and no damage to any vehicles. And the owner of the stolen Mercedes was contacted and got his car back.
