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Sandra Yi Reporting This may be the most wonderful time of the year, but the holidays can also bring out the worst in criminals.
Police are reminding holiday shoppers to watch their stuff.
This morning, someone saw a man trying to break into a pick-up truck in the parking lot of the Smith's Marketplace Store. When police showed up, the man took off running.
He led officers on a foot chase through backyards and over fences. One officer was hurt when he scraped his leg on a fence.
Police eventually caught up to the suspect, outside James Shell's house at 600 South and 500 East. His wife was making coffee and yelled out that someone was on their deck.
Shell described what he saw next. "I was coming out the back door behind me, the police officer had actually leapt over the fence and charged the suspect with this gate closed, and basically forced the suspect and the officer that apprehended him out here. The rest of the officers were around and he had no chance to escape."
Police arrested Jesse Butcher for vehicle burglary and fleeing from officers. They say there's a lesson to be learned from all this.
Lt. Dave Askerlund of the Salt Lake City Police Dept.: "It's a good idea for folks not to leave items that are Christmas shopping or purses or anything else in their vehicles because people make a living this time of year removing that stuff from cars."
Police are reminding us to keep gifts and valuables out of sight.
