A 19-year-old Uintah County man is in custody and facing a long list of charges after a series of events on Tuesday in Vernal. According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, officers were called to a convenience store on North Vernal Avenue on a report that a man had entered the store, stolen beer, and fled in a vehicle with a flat tire. Officers observed a grey vehicle with no headlights on and flat tire pull onto Vernal Avenue from a nearby parking lot swerving on the roadway as it drove north. Officers initiated a traffic stop but the vehicle continued driving until it turned onto 500 North before coming to a stop. The driver exited the vehicle and began running from the officers who were now pursuing him on foot. 19-year-old Camden Escalante was caught and brought into custody. He had two unopened cans of beer in his pocket and the distinct smell of alcohol was coming from his person. At the jail he was also found to have a plastic baggie of marijuana. It was found that the vehicle belonged to a family member and he did not have permission to be driving the vehicle. Escalante was arrested for the offense of DUI, Failure to Stop at Command of Police, Retail Theft, Unlawful Control of a Vehicle with Damage Over $500, among other drug charges and violations.
