ST. GEORGE — A driver suspected of stealing a vehicle out of Utah County was arrested Monday on Interstate 15 in Iron County.
Victor Zepeda Quintero, 31, of Pleasant Grove, Utah, was charged Tuesday with a second-degree felony receiving/transferring a stolen vehicle as well given a citation for not having a valid driver’s license, according to the probable cause statement filed in support of his arrest. His bail was set at $20,000,
Early Monday afternoon an “attempt to locate” alert was broadcast to officers in connection with a tan GMC Yukon that was reported stolen out of Pleasant Grove. The alert included a license plate number and a vehicle description, including a dent on the passenger’s side rear-panel.
Officers were advised that Quintero was believed headed to California in the stolen car, according to information provided to police in Utah County by the SUV’s owner.
Meanwhile, a Utah Highway Patrol trooper on southbound I-15 near mile marker 86 spotted the SUV and began tailing it while he confirmed the license plate number with dispatch and requested backup.
The trooper followed the SUV for about four miles until reinforcements arrived minutes later, then activated his lights and sirens and the SUV pulled off onto the right shoulder of the interstate near mile marker 82, the report said.
Quintero was taken into custody and authorities in Utah County were advised of the arrest. A records check revealed he was driving on an expired driver’s license issued out of California.
The vehicle was towed from the roadway and the defendant was booked into the Iron County Jail where he remains as this report publishes.
No court proceedings have yet been scheduled.
This report is based on statements from police or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. Persons arrested or charged are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law or as otherwise decided by a trier-of-fact.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2019, all rights reserved.