SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 5, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspect was arrested after allegedly selling drugs in Liberty Park Monday afternoon.
A probable cause statement from the 3rd District Court of Salt Lake County said Don Washington-Balthazar, 28, is facing a charge of distribution a controlled substance, a first-degree felony.
“While working patrol in Salt Lake City on Monday, I was dispatched to a call of a black male in a black leather jacket, blue jeans, black hat and orange/red sunglasses sitting on a park bench on the southeast corner of Liberty Park selling drugs out of his backpack,” the statement said.
When the officer arrived at the southeast corner of the park, he observed a man matching the description given, sitting on a park bench.
“Upon exiting my marked police vehicle, the male saw me and began walking west though the park,” the news release said. “My backing officer and I began following the male at which point he began sprinting away in an attempt to evade. Due to witnesses on scene the male was found hiding by laying down in the backyard of a nearby house.”
The man was allegedly found to be in possession of 257 grams of marijuana in individual baggies, a large amount of cash and multiple empty baggies “commonly used to package drugs,” the statement said.
The distribution charge is being enhanced to a first-degree felony as Washington-Balthazar was allegedly selling in a public park.
The suspect was transported to Salt Lake County Jail with his bail set at $20,000.