A pedestrian’s life was forever changed in a split second when they were struck by a vehicle driven by Marcos Adrian Garcia Lugo, 21, a foreign national accused of attempting to flee from police during a high-speed chase on March 1, 2023.
Lugo is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute; possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and alien in possession of a firearm, according to a federal indictment returned by a grand jury in Utah.
The incident occurred in the area of 3100 South Bangerter Highway in Salt Lake County, Utah, where detectives with the Salt Lake Area Metro Gang Unit (MGU) witnessed Lugo speeding and attempted to stop the vehicle with lights and sirens. However, the driver fled, and detectives terminated their pursuit.
Moments later, an MGU detective who is also an ATF task force officer observed Lugo make a sharp turn at 3600 West and 3150 South, where he slammed into another car that struck the pedestrian. Lugo exited the driver’s seat and took off on foot away from the crash.
Along Lugo’s flight path, detectives found a softball-sized amount of field-tested-positive methamphetamine and a stolen Smith and Wesson Shield 9mm firearm. Lugo was later arrested at a residence north of the crash. In Lugo’s vehicle, detectives also found 3.5 pounds of field-tested-positive methamphetamine, a half-pound of heroin, approximately 3,000 fentanyl pills, and $2,557.00 in cash.
Lugo is scheduled to appear in court on March 9, 2023, at 9:15 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Stephen L. Nelson, is prosecuting the case, which is being investigated jointly by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Salt Lake Area Metro Gang Unit.
Lugo’s indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
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Key Facts
- State: Utah
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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