ELBERTA, Utah County — A Salt Lake man suspected of being involved in a fatal auto-pedestrian crash in South Salt Lake was arrested over the weekend following a wild chase that ended in a pile of manure before the man escaped from custody and was arrested a second time.
Police also say the man and at least two others who were arrested are the subjects of a federal investigation for allegedly engaging in continual criminal activity.
The unusual string of events began Saturday when police were pursuing Adalberto Ozeta, 30. Ozeta is a suspect in a fatal auto-pedestrian crash on Jan. 8 in South Salt Lake, according to a police affidavit. He was also wanted on several warrants out for his arrest for other crimes.
Ozeta was first spotted by West Valley police at 3197 S. Redwood Road when they approached him with K-9s, but he fled in a stolen vehicle, said West Valley police spokeswoman Roxeanne Vainuku.
He was spotted near the Bluffdale-Lehi border. Unified police officers began following Ozeta, along with officers from other law enforcement agencies. He sped away on Redwood Road, driving into oncoming traffic, running red lights and passing other cars while going about 100 mph in an attempt to escape, according to the affidavit.
Officers stopped chasing Ozeta for safety reasons as he sped into Utah County, but a Utah Department of Public Safety helicopter was called and followed him.
After his vehicle became stuck in a rural area in Elberta, Ozeta ran from his car and attempted to hide in a large pile of manure, the affidavit states. Police were able to arrest him, but he claimed he swallowed a balloon filled with heroin, so he was taken to Mountain View Hospital in Payson for an evaluation.
“Ozeta was in the ICU and one hand was handcuffed to the bed. Ozeta slipped the handcuff and fled on foot out the emergency doors,” a police affidavit says.
Police found Ozeta a short time later and took him into custody for a second time. He was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of failing to stop at the command of police, drug possession, interfering with an arresting officer, and escaping from custody.
But that wasn’t the only arrest over the weekend connected to Ozeta.
On Sunday, police say Daniel Mark Wright, 47, of Sandy, was arrested and accused of trying to impersonate a police officer and stealing a donut from a convenience store in Lehi. He walked into a 7-Eleven wearing a green Salt Lake County sheriff’s jacket “with Salt Lake County sheriff shoulder patches and a Salt Lake County sheriff embroidered badge,” according to a police affidavit.
Wright was found at a nearby motel along with Christian Rose Olsen, 40, of West Jordan, and was found to be in possession of a stolen vehicle, the affidavit says.
When questioned, Wright said Ozeta had been involved in a fatal accident and had delivered the stolen vehicle to them a few days ago, the affidavit states. Both Wright and Olsen referred to Ozeta as “brother,” even though there is no familial relationship, police said.
According to the affidavit, all three “are involved in extensive criminal activity regarding vehicle burglary and vehicle theft among other things and are currently being investigated under RICO.”
RICO stands for the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a tool federal prosecutors use against those believed to be involved in ongoing criminal enterprises.
“When Daniel was questioned about anything involving Adalberto, he would not answer and said that it was his ‘code’ that he could not turn on him,” according to the affidavit.
Ozeta has been charged numerous times since 2017, according to court records. In 2020 alone, he was charged in seven cases ranging from theft by receiving stolen property, drug possession with intent to distribute, fleeing, unlawful possession of a financial card and assault on police.