Man arrested in fatal West Valley crash now linked to shooting on Sandy Road

WEST VALLEY CITY — A man accused of beating and killing a woman while fleeing police near Valley Fair Mall is now linked to other crimes in the Valley, including a street shooting in Sandy.

Cesar Omar Perez, 23, of Lehi, was arraigned Friday in 3rd District Court on three separate counts, including the Oct. 2 fatal crash and two other incidents in which shots were fired.

In total, Perez was charged with 18 crimes on Friday – including murder and aggravated robbery, as well as first-degree felonies; two counts of assault on a public servant, a second-degree felony; Burglary of a business, criminal damage to property and seven counts of unlawful discharge of a weapon, third-degree felonies; three counts of failing to obey an officer’s stop signal, two third-degree felonies and one class A misdemeanor; and marijuana possession and causing an accident involving property damage, Class B misdemeanors.

On Oct. 2, West Valley police were patrolling Fairbourne Park, 3590 S. Market St., which is next to West Valley City Hall and the West Valley Police Department, when officers spotted Perez smoking marijuana, according to charging documents. Perez, who police say was “very concerned,” ran across the parking lot.

“Officers were informed that Perez had run to a nearby street where electrical work was being completed and stole a Wasatch Electric Company work truck,” the charges state.

A worker suffered minor injuries when he fell from the moving vehicle while attempting to stop Perez.

Perez fled across the street into the area of ​​Valley Fair Mall, 3601 S. 2700 West, but not before he first “hit a Salt Lake Community College Ford F-250” that had two people inside, reports said in the indictment. Both occupants suffered minor injuries.

Officers spotted the stolen work truck again at the south end of the mall near Costco, 3747 S. 2700 West.

“As the officers approached, Perez put the vehicle in reverse and drove directly toward the officers. “Perez rammed the rear of the truck into the front driver’s side of a patrol car marked “Officer,” pushing his vehicle to the side,” the charges state.

According to police, Perez then rammed a second officer’s vehicle and drove away, driving on sidewalks and over grass to escape.

Perez is then accused of driving the wrong way on 2400 West, a narrow one-way street between the east side of the mall and I-215. Two other vehicles swerved to miss Perez, but a car driven by 52-year-old Nancy Arbon collided head-on with Perez as Perez was driving between 63 mph and 72 mph, charging documents say.

“Arbon’s vehicle came to a stop 100 feet from the point of impact while Perez rolled the truck over,” the lawsuit says.

Once Perez was in custody, detectives conducting further investigation linked him to a Sept. 9 road rage incident in Sandy. That day, a motorcyclist shot at a car near 9400 South and 1300 East. The driver was not injured.

On Oct. 2, a woman was killed when police pursuit of an allegedly stolen car ended in a head-on collision on a one-way street near Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City. The driver of the truck was later identified by police as Cesar Omar Perez, 23, of Lehi. (Ray Boone, KSL TV)

On Oct. 1 — the day before the fatal accident — Sandy police posted a surveillance photo of the suspected shooter on social media in hopes of identifying him. That day, they received a call from Lehi police, who had previously dealt with Perez and were able to help positively identify him, according to charging documents.

Also on Oct. 1, police said employees at Audi Salt Lake City, 999 S. State, arrived at work to find “five bullet casings and a broken glass door at the rear entrance to the store,” as well as a third set of charging documents, according to State.

Surveillance video captured the shooting and also showed the gunman “while inside the building attempting to gain access to a closet by shooting at the lock, damaging the locking mechanism and leaving a bullet inside,” the lawsuit says . “The man then kicks the desk area surrounding the cupboard before moving around the building to look at another desk area.”

After his arrest in West Valley City, investigators asked him if he was involved in the shooting at the Audi dealership.

“Perez immediately nodded his head and said he had shot out the back window to get a car there so he wouldn’t have to deal with anyone,” the charges state. “Perez stated that after he shot out the window and went inside, he couldn’t find any of the car keys, so he put the gun back in his backpack and left. Perez admitted he used the same weapon in the shooting of Sandy.”

Prosecutors have requested that Perez remain in the Salt Lake County Jail without the opportunity to post bail pending trial.