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By Myrna Trauntvein
TN Correspondent

Juab County Sheriff’s Office located a suspect and took the male into custody on Saturday, August 27 after a multi-agency search in Nephi.

Taken into custody, after the search, was Andres Vasquez, 57, Texas.

“One of my deputies observed a suspicious vehicle at the Park ‘N Pump in Nephi,” said Doug Anderson, Juab County Sheriff. “The vehicle then headed north on the 222 freeway entrance ramp.”

The officer stopped the vehicle and obtained a consent to search. Anderson said that there was reason to suspect that the vehicle had illegal drugs inside and the three occupants were removed for a search.

Two of the three suspects remained by the vehicle but Vasquez then ran north across all lanes of the freeway.

“The call came in to dispatch at 8:54 p.m.,” said Anderson. “After he fled the scene, we put out an alert that we were looking for a suspect that fled from officers. We sent out the alert in the Nephi area that they notify dispatch at 801-794-3970.”

“We warned them not to approach the person,” he said.

Inside the vehicle, officers found a quarter pound of cocaine and two and a quarter pounds of methamphetamine.

The suspect did have his cell phone on his person which helped officers locate him hiding under a railroad structure near where the vehicle had been stopped.

He was taken into custody without incident. The other two suspects were arrested at the scene of the original stop.

“We then released the information that the suspect had been located and was in custody,” said Anderson.

Preliminary charges are evading a police officer, possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and obstruction of justice.

“This was a great example of many law enforcement agencies cooperating to protect the public by keeping everyone safe,” said Anderson.

He said that he wanted to thank Nephi City Police, the Utah Highway Patrol and the West Central Strike Force.

Also he wanted to thank the Utah County Sheriff’s Office for assistance in processing the evidence.