CEDAR CITY — Two juveniles wanted for questioning in connection with a series of bank robberies in Colorado were arrested in southern Utah over the weekend, along with one of the boys’ mothers who led highway patrol troopers on a high-speed chase, according to police.
Amber Lee Butler, 37, was booked into the Iron County Jail Sunday. She was charged Monday in 5th District Court with possession of a firearm by a restricted person, failing to stop for police and aiding or concealing a youth offender, all third-degree felonies, plus multiple misdemeanor charges.
The investigation began about 11:30 p.m. Saturday when Butler passed a Utah Highway Patrol trooper on I-15 in Iron County while going about 100 mph, according to a police affidavit. The trooper activated his overhead emergency lights and began pursuing the BMW, which was speeding up.
“I was slowly gaining on the subject vehicle and I was traveling about 130 mph in my patrol car,” the trooper noted in the affidavit. “The pursuit continued north on I-15 at a constant speed of 130 mph until the vehicle was spiked by a UHP trooper.”
The vehicle was then spiked a second time by a Beaver County sheriff’s deputy.
“With both front tires gone, the vehicle lost control and hit the cable barrier, coming to a stop,” the affidavit states.
Two juveniles and Butler got out of the vehicle and ran, according to police. One juvenile was captured quickly. A second juvenile was located several hours later. And Butler was found by Beaver County deputies about 10:45 a.m. Sunday.
In the vehicle they left behind, investigators found drugs, drug paraphernalia, ammunition and the IDs of Butler and one of the juveniles. Troopers learned that Butler’s driver’s license “was revoked for habitual traffic offender,” the affidavit states.
One of the juveniles told troopers he had a gun with him that he threw in a field while running away. A trooper using a police K-9 later found the weapon, which was “fully loaded with a round in the chamber,” according to the report.
Troopers then learned one of the juveniles had a no-bail, full extradition warrant out for his arrest in Colorado, and the second teen, who is Butler’s son, was also on probation, the affidavit states.
“I spoke with a Colorado detective who advised me that they were investigating the two juveniles for a string of bank robberies,” according to the affidavit.
While the teens were still in Colorado and told that their probation officer wanted to speak to them, officers watching their home saw them getting into a car with Butler and leaving. Denver police last saw the vehicle going west on I-70 on Dec. 23, the affidavit states.
Butler was also charged Monday with giving false information to a police officer and drug possession, both class A misdemeanors; causing an accident with property damage, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, drug possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, all class B misdemeanors; driving on a suspended license, a class C misdemeanor; and a speeding infraction.