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SALT LAKE CITY — Police continue their search for a man accused of stealing two trucks and eluding police after a chase Wednesday morning.
Travis McDonald, 31, of Bountiful, is accused of stealing two trucks and leading police on a high-speed chase throughout the west side of Salt Lake Valley. Around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday, police said they had surrounded a motel at 1460 S. State Street in which they believed McDonald to be. Around 11:30 a.m., police said McDonald was not in the motel. Police continued the search for McDonald.
Last week McDonald stole a tan F-350 Ford pickup truck from a residential area near 7200 West and 3100 South, according to police. Wednesday, around 8:30 a.m., police said he crashed the truck into a ditch near I-80 and 5600 West.
A rifle and some construction equipment was found in the Ford pickup, said Kent Jorgensen, director of Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division.
McDonald then stole a Chevrolet truck from a contractor working for Nicholas and Co. and drove it through a chain-link fence, according to Lt. Allan Shinney with the Utah Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division.
The chase wound throughout West Valley, Magna and Salt Lake areas, at some points reaching 90 mph, police said. Officers later spotted the man and followed him to Home Depot at 328 W. 2100 South.
A security guard at a nearby McDonald's restaurant, Leonard Tarver, said he spotted a man with a red beard running into Home Depot, so he notified an approaching officer.
Around 9:30 a.m. at 300 West and 1850 South, McDonald abandoned the utility truck and fled on foot.
Police pursued McDonald to Home Depot, 300 West and 2100 South. Officers ordered an evacuation and closed the building while tactical teams conducted a search. Around 10:40 a.m., police lifted the evacuation, saying they had not located McDonald on the premises.
McDonald has been involved in several vehicle pursuits in the last week, according to police. Thursday, Motor Vehicle Enforcement officers spotted the Ford pickup truck, began to pursue but did not stop him.
"It was family member that actually said he had dropped him off many times here," said Lt. Allan Shinney.
Another chase after McDonald occurred Tuesday night, but the pursuing Metro Gang Unit did not stop him. According to Motor Vehicle Enforcement spokesman Charlie Roberts, the plates had been changed on the Ford pickup since it was allegedly stolen.
Police said McDonald is a suspect in a series of other crimes beginning three weeks ago. Officers received a tip that he may have been involved in the theft of other vehicles and approached him at Callaway Apartments, Shinney said.
McDonald allegedly attempted to run over two responding officers when fleeing police in a car that had no license plates. Police do not suspect that vehicle was stolen.
"I would say that I think he's a risk," Shinney said. "He's got violence in his history."
Last Thursday, officers on patrol in West Valley City ran the license plate of a vehicle located near 7200 West and 3100 South, and found that it had been stolen. McDonald escaped in the vehicle, and police did not pursue him at that time.
Police located the vehicle in the same driveway Wednesday morning, leading to the chase.
"This guy's a bad apple," Roberts said.
When police searched the vehicle, they found other stolen items including a wallet, and a stolen set of spinal surgery implants worth about $20,000, court records state.
McDonald currently has warrants out for his arrest on both those cases.
He was convicted of an amended charge of attempted possession of a dangerous weapon in 2011. He was also convicted of drug distribution and theft by receiving stolen property, for which he was sentenced to up to five years in prison, according to court records.
In 2006, McDonald was sentenced to prison in a string of cases that ultimately resulted in convictions of attempted felony theft and making a fraudulent financial transaction.
McDonald was first incarcerated at the Utah State Prison in March of 2006 and was released in November of 2008. He returned to prison in March of 2009 and was released again in June of 2011.
He was most recently released from prison in March after being sent back in September of 2011.
Contributing: Shara Park, Sandra Yi and Pat Reavy
