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SALT LAKE CITY — Three men were arrested over the weekend after police say they stole a Corvette from the economy lot at the Salt Lake City International Airport.
Officers were still looking for a fourth man and the missing Corvette Tuesday.
Just before 7 p.m. Friday, four men were seen "acting in concert, prowling parked vehicles, ducking and hiding and looking into windows of unoccupied cars. The four suspects were seen on surveillance camera entering the main economy parking lot of the airport in a white Jeep Limited. Acting in unison, the driver of the Jeep remains in the driver seat and three others exit the Jeep and each of them were observed prowling vehicles, finally going up to an electric blue toned Corvette," according to a police booking affidavit.
"Suspects are seen ducking and sneaking around as they worked on the Corvette, until the point they had it starting and moving," the affidavit states.
Police say one man stayed in the Corvette while the three others drove away in the Jeep, which was also believed to have been stolen.
Police followed the Jeep on surveillance video until it drove out of the parking lot. At that point, officers in marked vehicles moved in, the affidavit states. The Jeep tried to avoid police in the park-and-ride lot before coming to an abrupt stop. The three occupants then got out and ran.
"Officers were able to track down the suspects, who entered another parked vehicle and hid inside until officers approached," according to the affidavit.
The men then ran again and climbed a fence in an effort to get away before they were surrounded and arrested, police said. The fourth man drove off in the Corvette, which had not been located as of Tuesday.
A backpack was also recovered while taking the three men into custody,
"Officers found the backpack full of blank car key fobs. As the investigation continued, officers found key cards to a nearby motel," police said Tuesday. "Detectives responded and prepared a warrant to search the motel room. On-duty members from the Salt Lake City Police Department's SWAT team responded to assist with clearing the room. Inside the motel room, officers found more evidence of a coordinated stolen car operation. Officers found a laptop, other hardware used to communicate electronic signals and a device used to program key fobs inside the stolen car from which the suspects bailed.
Salt Lake police say it is not known what the group planned on doing with the stolen car. As of Tuesday, there was no evidence to suggest the case was connected to a Lamborghini stolen from the airport parking lot in June that is still missing.
Yoel Hernandez Frometa, 37, who police say has a Texas driver's license; Jose Alejandro Pavon Estupinan, 30, who has a Florida driver's license; and Vanier Pinillotoro, 39, were each arrested and booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of theft, failing to stop for police and possession of burglary tools.
