SANDY — Two men who crashed and knocked out power to parts of Sandy and Midvale after fleeing from police were arrested Wednesday night.
In the process, investigators also seized drugs and weapons.
The incident began Wednesday when a Sandy officer spotted a car going 57 mph in a 40 mph zone near 9000 South and 700 East, according to a Salt Lake County Jail report. The officer attempted to pull the vehicle over, but the driver kept going, the report states.
“Then the driver then made an abrupt U-turn ... and began driving westbound on 9000 South,” according to the report.
The fleeing vehicle sped through a red light that forced the officer who was following to stop and wait for traffic to clear. When the officer approached 8400 South, he found the car had crashed into a power pole and a tree, the report states.
“As I turned west on 8400 South, I could see two males running from the vehicle,” the officer wrote in his report.
Multiple witnesses helped police locate the men, who were arrested a short time later. One man surrendered after an officer threatened to use his Taser on him while he was climbing a fence to escape, the jail report states.
Anders Johansson-Fulilangi, 26, who police say is homeless, was arrested for investigation of being in a stolen vehicle, possession of a firearm by a restricted person, drug distribution, theft by receiving stolen property, failing to stop for police, and several other counts related to stolen bank cards and the crash.
“He said that he’d just stolen meth from someone in Salt Lake City. He told me it was in a blue bag in the vehicle. He also told me that he’d used meth and heroin today,” the officer who arrested Johansson-Fulilangi wrote in his booking report. “Defendant has an extensive criminal history, including violent felonies, and created a substantial risk to society with his actions.”
Leialoha M. Fotofili, 33, of California, was booked for investigation of drug distribution, possession of a firearm by a restricted person and failing to stop for police.
At the crash scene, “officers found a handgun just outside of the open passenger’s side front door,” the report states. “Inside the vehicle, on the front passenger’s seat, responding officers located a blue bag with approximately 1 oz. of white crystalline substance suspected to be crystal methamphetamine, packaged in smaller individual baggies and a black bag containing a black Hi-Point handgun and loaded spare magazine behind the front passenger’s seat.”
A box of credit cards and checks was also recovered from the vehicle, the report states.
Power was knocked out to parts of Sandy and Midvale due to the crash into the power pole. It was restored by Thursday morning.