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SALT LAKE CITY — A man accused of trying to steal items from a Bountiful store was arrested in Salt Lake City following several slow-speed chases with police and assistance from a bystander.
The incident marked the second time in two weeks that Jose Benito Guanajuato, 37, was arrested in Salt Lake City after fleeing from police in Davis County, according to court records.
About 10:40 p.m. Monday, Salt Lake police were told to be on the lookout for a man who had just fled from Bountiful police. A few minutes later, Guanajuato was spotted near 600 W. North Temple. Attempts to stop him at that time were unsuccessful.
Officers then learned that "Guanajuato was the suspect in several recent crimes involving a weapon and was also the suspect in a robbery that occurred a few hours earlier," police said. Officers attempted to stop him again near 1300 S. State, "but he still refused to pull over and kept driving at slow speeds, obeying most traffic laws."
When Guanajuato pulled into the parking lot of a Maverik gas station in the area of 3500 S. West Temple, "a community member blocked Guanajuato's car with their own vehicle, preventing him from moving his car. Officers gave commands to Guanajuato to exit his car, but he refused. Officers pulled Guanajuato from the car and took him safely into custody without further incident," according to police.
"(Guanajuato) while on parole status, fled from multiple uniformed peace officers in marked vehicles with emergency lights activated in an attempt to conduct a lawful traffic stop," according to a jail booking affidavit.
He was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of robbery, four counts of failing to stop for police and interfering with an officer.
His arrest comes just 10 days after he was arrested for a similar situation. In that case, Guanajuato is accused of pouring water into a man's gas tank in Davis County and then refusing to pull over when police responded, according to charging documents. He was arrested 30 minutes later by Salt Lake police and eventually charged in 2nd District Court with several crimes, including failing to stop at the command of police.
