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WEST VALLEY CITY — A wanted fugitive accused of ramming a police car and leading officers on a brief chase was arrested Wednesday night.
Todd Pace, 32, of West Valley City, and two others were arrested in an inoperable motor home parked within walking distance of the West Valley Police Department. Police surrounded the mobile home and after about 15 minutes of refusing to come out, Pace surrendered without incident, said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.
Two other people who were in the trailer were also taken into custody on outstanding warrants.
Just 24 hours earlier, police had spotted Pace in the parking lot of Embassy Suites, 3524 S. Market St. As officers got into position to take Pace into custody, he drove off in a stolen SUV at a high rate of speed out of the parking lot, hitting a patrol car on his way out while the officer was still inside, Vainuku said.
No one was injured, and the police vehicle sustained minor damage, she said.
Officers twice deployed tire spikes, but the fleeing SUV kept going along 3500 South, Vainuku said. After the SUV ran a red light, police called off the pursuit due to public safety concerns.
"Todd blew red lights in excess of 70 mph," a Salt Lake County Jail report states.
The vehicle was later found abandoned in Taylorsville after it crashed into another parked car.
Pace is currently wanted in Texas on drug-related charges.
Related:
Man accused of ramming into patrol vehicle during chase taken into custody
Authorities were searching for a man Wednesday morning after he rammed a police vehicle during a pursuit."Todd admitted to fleeing in the vehicle because he didn't want to get extradited back to Texas. Todd also admitted to hitting my vehicle because he did not want to go back to jail," the report says.
On Thursday, Pace was charged in 3rd District Court with failing to respond to an officer's order to stop, a third-degree felony, for an incident on Feb. 8. Page was involved in yet another chase with police on that day, this one near 4700 South and 5600 West, according to charging documents. The chase was called off by police due to public safety.
In June, Pace was charged with felony drug distribution and failing to stop for law enforcement after leading officers on another chase, according to court documents. When he was arrested, police found Pace was carrying heroin and methamphetamine, the charges state.
A warrant was issued for his arrest in that case in September for failing to show up for court.
In 2004, Pace was convicted of felony theft, according to court records.
