WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Jan. 21, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — West Valley City police have arrested a 25-year-old man with four felony warrants after he allegedly lead them on a chase in a stolen vehicle.
Freddy Zavala-Guillen was booked into the Salt Lake County jail system at 2 a.m. Thursday, and faces charges of:
- Receive or transfer stolen vehicle, a second-degree felony
- Failure to respond to officers signaling to stop, a third-degree felony
- Possession of use of a controlled substance, a class B misdemeanor
- Open container/drinking alcohol in a vehicle, a class C misdemeanor
- Operating a vehicle without a licence or registration, a class C misdemeanor
A probable cause statement filed by an officer of the WVCPD says Zavala-Guillen was wanted on multiple felony warrants, and had fled from multiple law enforcement agencies over the past few weeks, “multiple agencies will be filing felony charges for fleeing,” the statement says.
An officer spotted a car that had been reported stolen, the statement says.
“Detectives attempted a traffic stop on the A/P (accused person), with red and blue lights activated, and he failed to stop and increased his speeds and fled,” the statement said.
“Because of the reckless nature and danger it posed to the community Freddy was not pursued. With the assistance of the UHP helicopter the A/P was followed from the air. Freddy was observed running multiple red lights and showing a disregard for the public in the area. Several of the red lights he ran and high speeds.”
“Freddy ran multiple red lights and at speeds that could cause serious bodily injury or death had there been an innocent civilian in the intersection,” the probable cause statement says.
Eventually, the vehicle Zavala-Guillen was driving became disabled after losing all four of his tires and driving on rims, the statement says.
“The A/P was called out of the vehicle and detained. No other occupants were inside. The vehicle was confirmed by VIN# to be listed stolen from Woods Cross.”
A search of Zavala-Guillen and the vehicle turned up a container of an alcoholic beverage and a glass pipe with “burn marks and distinct markings consistent with methamphetamine use,” the statement says. “A records check of DMV files shows that the state issued driver’s license for the a/p is currently suspended.”
Zavala-Guillen was read his Miranda Rights, and “the A/P admitted
that the vehicle was stolen and admitted to fleeing from police on multiple occasions in the stolen vehicle.”
Zavala-Guillen is being held without bail in part because of concern he is a flight risk.
