SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Feb. 4, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — A man who had been on the run for nine years is currently in the Salt Lake County Jail facing charges of crimes against a child.
Efren Ortiz-Gonzalez, of West Jordan, was wanted since February 2010, after a warrant was issued in Salt Lake County, according to a news release from U.S. Marshal Matthew D. Harris, District of Utah. He was wanted on charges of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and child rape.
“After being charged, Gonzalez who was in the United States illegally fled to his home country of Mexico where he had been living in hiding for the last nine years,” the news release states.
In October 2012, the West Jordan Police Department requested that the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Apprehension Team (VFAST) join the search for Ortiz-Gonzalez.
It was determined that the fugitive was hiding in Mexico, but his exact location wasn’t known, so a request for extradition was sent to the government of Mexico.
Ortiz-Gonzalez was arrested by the Mexican Federal Police in Mexico City on March 14, 2018, following a long investigation.
“He remained in custody in Mexico until Jan. 30, 2019, when he was turned over to U.S. Marshals at the Mexico City International Airport by Interpol Mexico and the Mexican Federal Police and extradited back to Salt Lake City, Utah,” the release says.
VFAST is a U.S. Marshals multi-agency task force, “dedicated primarily to the apprehension of dangerous federal, state and local fugitives.”
According to the release, more than 90 officers statewide have been deputized as Special Deputy U.S. Marshals. VFAST partners include:
- Clinton PD
- Syracuse PD
- Unified PD
- West Valley City PD
- West Jordan PD
- St. George PD
- Uinta Co Sheriff
- Vernal PD
- Sandy PD
- South Salt Lake PD
- Orem PD
- Department of Corrections – Adult Probation and Parole
