Man charged in crash that killed 3 booked into jail


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SALT LAKE CITY — A man charged earlier this week in connection with the deaths of three people during a car chase that ended in a crash was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Wednesday.

Jonathan Ulises Analco-Cruz, 23, was charged in 3rd District Court Tuesday with three counts of automobile homicide and failure to stop for officers resulting in death, all second-degree felonies, as well as a third-degree felony charge of forgery and a class C misdemeanor charge of driving on a suspended license.

On May 17, investigators say Cruz was traveling 60 mph in a 35 mph zone at the airport when an officer attempted to pull him over. Cruz accelerated and made abrupt lane changes as he headed toward eastbound I-80, according to the charges.

The officer stopped his pursuit for safety concerns. But a short time later he "saw a dust cloud" near the I-215 interchange, the charges state.

Cruz was found on the ground and three passengers dead inside the car. Cruz's girlfriend, Michaela Martin, 18, of Taylorsville, was killed in the crash. She had been sitting in the front seat. Hardinger Cruz, 17, of Salt Lake City, and Randy Ruiz, 14, of Midvale were killed in the back seat.

Cruz was hospitalized and later discharged from the hospital. The Utah Department of Public Safety said Thursday that officers had been keeping an eye on Cruz's whereabouts. On Wednesday, officers from the State Bureau of Investigations went to Cruz's house about 9 p.m. and arrested him without incident, said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Todd Royce.

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Pat Reavy

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