CENTERVILLE, Utah -- An officer here tuned into a driver's own suspicious driving pattern to nab a man wanted by U.S. Marshals.
Police say Garrett Lopez, 33, was arrested after a Sunday morning chase with Lopez's stepchildren in the vehicle with him.
Centerville Police Sgt. Von Steenblik said an officer saw the driver of a gray Toyota 4Runner crossing the center line at 1:05 a.m. Sunday in the Sunset Circle area of Centerville.
Steenblik said the officer turned around to follow the 4Runner.
That's when the driver entered a cul-de-sac and turned off the 4Runner's lights.
The officer approached the vehicle and smelled alcohol on Lopez's breath and could see a 14-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy inside the vehicle, Steenblik said.
Finding nothing on the false name Lopez had given him, the officer called for backup.
When other officers arrived, Lopez left the scene, leading police down Parrish Lane in Centerville onto Legacy Parkway.
He ran out of gas near the interchange of Legacy Parkway and Interstate 215.
Lopez was booked into Davis County Jail on multiple charges, including reckless driving, failure to respond to the officers' signal to stop and reckless endangerment.
Booking records indicate that he was driving without a valid license and without insurance.
He also was wanted by U.S. Marshals for aggravated assault out of Virginia.
Steenblik said officers are investigating a number of burglaries in the area where Lopez was found, believing he may have been connected to those crimes.
The sergeant said Lopez may have been driving around looking for an opportunity to commit a crime.
His stepchildren were turned over to relatives.
Copyright 2013 - Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
