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SALT LAKE CITY — Officials are searching for a person they say is an assault suspect who fled after a police pursuit Saturday evening.
"He is wanted, he is known to be armed and dangerous," said Unified Police Sgt. Melody Gray.
Police identified the man as Felix Benitez Zaragoza, 23, who is wanted on an aggravated assault parole violation, in addition to other aggravated assault-related matters. He has a history of fleeing police. Unified police said Zaragoza is 5'7” and weighs 200 pounds, with long black hair in cornrows.
Zaragoza was driving a stolen vehicle with Misha Maestas, 28, according to police. Maestas is now in police custody; she was wanted on felony warrants.
The pursuit began in Millcreek near 3700 South and 700 East. The chase ended when the vehicle crashed near 900 East and 1300 South; the two people in the vehicle fled from police on foot into a neighborhood northeast of where the pursuit ended. A handgun and rifle were found in the car they left behind.
"It was a green light and as I was going through my friend just starts saying stop, stop, stop," said Skyler Devoe, whose car was hit by Zaragoza's vehicle. "And I look over and there is that white car is like 5 feet away from my car going super fast, getting chased by police."
Devoe's car was hit on the passenger side, and he witnessed a gun magazine fall out when he saw Zaragoza get out of the car.
Soon afterward, police cruisers were spotted blocking McClelland Street at Herbert Avenue, and intersections along 900 East, and driving slowly through streets looking for the suspects. Just before 6 p.m., the cruisers sped away south on 900 East.
Four K-9 units were called out to assist in the search for Zaragoza.
Contributing: Kevin LaRue, KSL NewsRadio and Garna Mejia, KSL-TV
