Victims or suspects? Police still stumped

A bizarre string of events in Midvale over the past two days has investigators trying to figure out who has really been a suspect in a crime and who has been a victim, or both.

"We've got suspects turning into victims and victims turning into suspects," said Midvale Police Sgt. John Salazar.

The unusual and complicated chain of events began Tuesday at a motel near 400 West and 7200 South. A 24-year-old man said he was tied up, beaten with a baseball bat and robbed, Salazar said. The man said he escaped by using a lighter to free himself.

The man ran outside the motel and told his two friends in the parking lot to chase a man and woman who had just left in another vehicle, Salazar said.

The male and female drove to a house in Magna. When they went inside, they made up a story to two other men that they were being followed by two guys who had just raped the female, Salazar said.

The two men got into the same car the male and female had just gotten out of and started chasing the men who just moments ago were chasing the man and woman.

By this time, people inside the vehicles started calling police on their cell phones. Both cars were pulled over in separate locations, and one man was arrested on an outstanding $80,000 warrant for aggravated assault on a police officer, Salazar said.

As detectives sorted through the alleged assault at the motel, witnesses told them the 24-year-old man was not robbed but rather he was beaten in retaliation for allegedly using a date-rape drug on a pair of females ages 15 and 20, Salazar said.

At 3:30 a.m. Wednesday, the 24-year-old man returned to the motel and threatened the two females with a gun.

When the man left he got into yet another chase, this time with two male friends of the women. The men rammed the 24-year-old's car near 700 West and 5600 South, but both cars kept going, Salazar said.

During the chase, one of the men called 911. Each car also called friends to help them, so by the end of the chase four vehicles were racing around town. Midvale police, Sandy police and Salt Lake County sheriff's deputies responded and pulled over the cars.

Four more men were taken to jail on outstanding warrants, including the 24-year-old.

Additional charges of aggravated assault and aggravated sexual assault were expected to be screened.

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