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OREM — A Payson man was arrested Tuesday after police say he went on a crime spree that started in Orem and extended into Mapleton and Salem, and nearly resulted in police officers being seriously injured.
John Richard Salazar, 50, was booked into the Utah County Jail for investigation of nine potential criminal charges in three separate investigations, including aggravated assault targeting law enforcement, burglary and failing to stop at the command of police.
About 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, Salazar entered a home in Orem without permission while holding a baseball bat. He was looking for a man and told the man's sister to get out of his way "or I will smash you," according to a police booking affidavit.
Salazar eventually left the home without further incident. Police were called and received information that Salazar was possibly headed to Mapleton. Salazar allegedly went to his ex-girlfriend's home and told her to get into his pickup truck. She told him to wait around the corner and then called police.
Officers located Salazar and attempted to make a traffic stop. He was ordered "to exit the vehicle and keep his hands where I could see them," an officer stated in the arrest report.
Instead, police say Salazar made a gesture with his hand to the officer and sped away. As officers gave chase, Salazar made a U-turn "and drove into oncoming traffic," and then drove directly at a pursuing officer, the affidavit states. The officer was bracing to be hit head-on when Salazar allegedly swerved at the last moment, missing the officer's vehicle by just a foot.
Mapleton police called off their pursuit at that point for safety reasons. But Salazar was later spotted by Utah County sheriff's deputies.
"I set up with spikes in an attempt to intervene at 1100 W. Maple Street in Mapleton," a deputy wrote.
But Salazar drove into oncoming traffic to avoid the spikes, the affidavit states, then continued to pass cars at a high rate of speed, and turned onto state Route 89, causing several cars to swerve out of the way to avoid being hit. He eventually pulled over next to a grocery store in Salem.
Salazar initially got out of his truck, but then allegedly "ran and jumped back into his car, and continued to flee" on state Route 198. A deputy was preparing to throw a second set of tire spikes onto the road, when "John swerved his truck" at the deputy, according to the affidavit.
The deputy was still able to successfully deploy the spikes, which flattened two tires. Once Salazar's truck stopped moving, he "was extremely noncompliant, and was screaming and yelling profanities at deputies. After several minutes John complied and was taken into custody without further incident. Due to his erratic driving, even when not being chased, It was suspected that John was driving under the influence," the affidavit alleges.
A blood draw later confirmed several drugs were in Salazar's system, according to police.
