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SOUTH WEBER — Law enforcement officials in Davis County arrested a man who allegedly fled from police after a four-hour search in the bitter cold Thursday morning.
Austin Russell, 26, was booked into Davis County Jail on Thursday on investigation of receiving or transferring a stolen vehicle, reckless driving, theft, failure to stop or respond at police command, escape from official custody, and possession by inmate of prohibited items.
He was ordered to be held with a bail of $10,000.
The incident began around 1 a.m. Thursday when a Woods Cross police officer, who was finishing his shift, found a suspicious vehicle, according to Davis County Sheriff’s Sgt. Josh Boucher.
The car had been possibly involved in some vehicle burglaries or thefts in South Weber, Boucher said.
The Woods Cross officer tried to investigate but the car drove off. He followed the car into South Weber, where it crashed on Cornia Drive near the Weber River, Boucher added.
The Woods Cross officer was by himself, and he attempted to take Russell into custody, Boucher said. The 26-year-old man “tussled” with the Woods Cross officer briefly, and as soon as the officer was able to handcuff Russell, he ran off.
It was dark and cold — between 10 to 14 degrees — in South Weber at the time, and the Woods Cross officer quickly lost sight of the handcuffed Russell, who ran off into some thick brush, Boucher said.
Authorities from Davis County Sheriff’s Office, Weber County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol, as well as police officers from Ogden, Clinton, Centerville and Woods Cross, responded to the area.
Law enforcement officials set up a containment area to search for Russell, who they believed may have gone into a nearby gravel pit, Boucher said.
The officers searched for about four hours, which included a call to a Department of Public Safety helicopter and officers searching for Russell through buildings in the gravel pit, but were ultimately unable to find him, Boucher said.
But as officers were leaving the area about 6 a.m., emergency officials got calls from citizens reporting that a man with his hands bound behind his back was stepping out into traffic along southbound Highway 89, Boucher said.
A Davis County Sheriff’s detective then located Russell, confirmed he was the man officials had been looking for, and began taking care of him. He was “quite hypothermic” and was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, Boucher said.
Russell was cold and ready to give up, Boucher said.
Court documents show Russell was also arrested Oct. 24 and booked into Salt Lake County Jail on investigation of 56 counts, 53 of which were felonies. He had been released from Salt Lake County Jail by Tuesday.
Contributing: Eric Morgan, KSL
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