SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Mar. 10, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspected auto thief briefly eluded police Friday morning.
But officers soon discovered other alleged things he’s not supposed to be doing.
Events began at 9:41 a.m. when a Salt Lake City Police Department patrol sergeant noticed a car reported stolen in traffic near 500 South Redwood Road, according to a departmental press release. The sergeant attempted to pull the car over, but the driver, later identified as Riziq Abdalla, 38, sped off. The sergeant did not pursue Abdalla.
A short time later, another Salt Lake City patrol officer spotted the stolen car in the parking lot of a business near 1300 North Redwood Road.
After additional officers responded, according to police, they safely took Abdalla into custody inside the business, his luck running out as other alleged offenses accumulated.
Officers reportedly recovered a gun they saw Abdalla throw into a garbage can as they entered the business.
It was discovered Abdalla is on parole and a convicted felon which restricts him from possessing a gun. The department’s auto theft squad assisted in the investigation.
Officers booked Abdalla into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on parole violations as well as felony counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, failure to stop at the command of a police officer, possession of a dangerous weapon by a restricted person.
