Police arrest violent fugitive who attacked ex-girlfriend with baseball bat
Mar 21, 2018, 9:17 PM | Updated: 10:23 pm
SOUTH JORDAN – South Jordan police said they had taken a violent man off the streets Wednesday, thanks to a tipster.
They had been looking for Salvador Valdez, 44, after they said he attacked his ex-girlfriend and another woman earlier this month with a baseball bat.
The March 9 attack happened in a parking lot near a Sizzler Restaurant, located at 11610 S. Main District Drive.
“South Jordan is a very safe community. when you look at crime rates or these types of crimes, they are very infrequent. This was a big deal for us, and we wanted to make it a priority to get him off the street,” South Jordan Police Lt. Matt Pennington said.
Police said Valdez struck the two women with a metal baseball bat and also charged two bystanders, who both took out their firearms, causing Valdez to flee. Both women were treated at the scene. One suffered a large gash and a bump on the back of her head, and the other suffered injuries to her arms and the back of her head.
Salvador Valdez, 44
One of the women told police she previously dated Valdez and recently filed a stalking injunction against him after a history of violence toward her.
“She had done everything she thought she could have done — the stalking injunction,” Lt. Pennington said. “It just goes to show you still have to be aware and make sure you’re paying attention to what is going on around you.”
Court records show Valdez has a lengthy criminal history in Utah. He pleaded guilty in May 2017, to felony stalking and misdemeanor threat of violence charges in relation to a case earlier that year.
He is now facing new charges of aggravated kidnapping, aggravated assault, stalking, among other charges.
Police were not able to locate him until they put out a $1,000 reward Tuesday which led to his arrest in Kearns a day later.
Salvador Valdez, 44
“We sent some investigators out to follow up on that tip,” Lt. Pennington said. “We were able to determine with the assistance of the U.S. Marshals Service Violent Fugitive Team, that Salvador was at the location they told us he would be at.”
Police were able to take Valdez into custody without incident.
Free and confidential help and support for victims and survivors of domestic violence is available 24/7 at 1-800-897-LINK (5465) or visiting udvc.org.
