SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, July 18, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Salt Lake City police arrested a 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman their alleged involvement in an aggravated robbery and fleeing the scene.
At about 8:39 a.m. Monday, dispatch was alerted to a 37-year-old woman being robbed near 5100 W. Wiley Post Way, southwest of the Salt Lake City International Airport.
“Officers got on scene and learned Anthony Alvarado threatened the victim with a knife, took her purse and stole her car,” says a statement issued by the SLCPD public relations department. “Officers believe Alvarado ditched the victim’s car and got into another car driven by Christina Bettecher.
“Officers tried stopping Bettecher, but she refused. With the help of a Department of Public Safety (DPS) helicopter, officers located the car at 1500 W. Pueblo St. Patrol officers, Liberty Division Bike Squad officers, and detectives assigned to the SLCPD’s auto theft squad developed a plan to safely arrest Alvarado and Bettecher.”
The two were taken into custody. Detectives assigned to the SLCPD robbery and violent crimes squad responded to help with the investigation, the SLCPD PR statement says.
Arrest documents for Alvarado allege that he used a knife in the robbery.
“Surveillance footage shows the arrested party use a T-shirt to conceal his face while he runs toward the victim whilst holding a knife in his right hand, and accosting the victim and using the knife to cut the purse away from the victim’s shoulder then leave in the victim’s vehicle,” the affidavit says.
“The arrested party switched vehicles and proceeded to flee on foot after being located by officers in the area previous to being taken into custody.”
Alvarado was booked into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on suspicion of:
- Aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony
- Theft of items valued greater than $5,000, a second-degree felony
- Failure to stop or respond at command of police, a third-degree felony
The police statement also mentions one felony count of possession of a weapon by a restricted person and an active warrant, which do not appear on Alvarado’s charging documents.
The SLCPD PR statement says Bettecher was booked into the same jail facility on a felony count of failure to stop at the command of a police officer. Her arrest record is not yet available through the court system website.
