Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SPANISH FORK — A man was arrested Sunday after police say he led officers on a pursuit in a stolen vehicle Sunday afternoon with two juveniles, including his younger sister, inside.
Tristian Thomas Anderson, 19, of Spanish Fork, was arrested and booked into Utah County Jail on suspicion of vehicle theft, a second-degree felony, as well as two counts of child endangerment and delivering drug paraphernalia to someone under the age of 18 and evading police, each a third-degree felonies, and possession of marijuana, driving under the influence of a controlled substance and reckless driving, each misdemeanors.
Two juveniles in the vehicle, Anderson’s 13-year-old sister and her 14-year-old friend, were also cited for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, according to Utah County Sheriff’s Office officials.
The pursuit began shortly after 4:30 p.m. when a Utah County Sheriff’s deputy ran plates on a passing vehicle near the Spanish Fork airport. After the registration came back as a stolen vehicle out of American Fork, the officer attempted to pull the vehicle over and the driver fled, police said.
The driver led officers on a pursuit through Spanish Fork and onto U.S. Highway 6 into Spanish Fork Canyon. Officers successfully deployed a spike strip that deflated one of the vehicle’s tires but it wasn’t until another officer conducted a PIT maneuver that the chase ended and Anderson was taken into custody, police said.
The juveniles told police that they had been smoking marijuana prior to the pursuit and that they wanted Anderson to stop when police signaled for the vehicle to pull over. Anderson told police he stole the vehicle after finding the car unlocked and the keys inside, officials said.
