It could have appeared to be a clean getaway after two men on a 4-wheeler eluded a sheriff’s officer during an unlawful joyride in late July. The latest charges against one of the men and his girlfriend following a two-month inquiry may have been a rude awakening.
According to Utah County Sheriff’s Deputy Allyson Monsen, it all started on July 25 while she was on patrol and helping Payson police with another case.
Monsen claimed to have seen two males riding a four-wheeler on 200 West close to 250 North, which was against the law in the Payson city boundaries.
The two crashed over sidewalks and onto yards, driving wildly in the dark, sometimes without lights, according to Monsen.
“I tried to pull them over and they didn’t stop and took off,” Monsen stated.
One of the males, according to Monsen, was sporting a “creepy” clown mask, which turned out to be a crucial clue when the man threw it on the ground.
“Somebody is going to know who is driving a 4-wheeler around in this town wearing a scary clown mask,” Monsen stated. “That mask is very distinct and very unique.”
Her coworkers at the sheriff’s office shared the mask on social media after Monsen gave it to them. Tips started coming in, including one regarding a sighting at a nearby gas station.
Monsen claimed that she was able to obtain security footage of the individual wearing the mask inside. The deputy clarified, “One of those tips specifically named a male as (27-year-old) Delfino Vazquez (Varela).”
According to her, the clues led to a protracted investigation into the identity of the person who departed on a four-wheeler that late July evening.
“Over the course of two months, I just kind of was steadily working on it, would find out a little bit more each week,” Monsen stated. “Based off of lots of hours of investigating and investigative techniques, I found communications between my suspect and his girlfriend where he admits to getting on a high-speed chase on a 4-wheeler in Payson.”
Vazquez Varela was booked on a number of possible charges and infractions, including obstruction of justice and felony failure to stop at police instruction, according to Monsen. Additionally, he was accused in relation to a previous arrest where it was found that the four-wheeler was stolen.
In Monsen’s case, Vazquez Varela pleaded guilty to third-degree criminal obstruction of justice and failing to stop at police orders, and in the previous case, he pleaded guilty to third-degree felony theft and possession of a dangerous narcotic.
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According to Monsen, Vazquez Varela’s girlfriend, Tonya Hood Patino, 33, was charged with criminal obstruction after lying to shield him. On September 30, she was accused of third-degree felony obstruction of justice. Monsen expressed her gratitude for the public’s assistance, saying she couldn’t have solved the case without it.
“If we wouldn’t have had public tips, it would never have been solved,” she stated.
According to the deputy, Vazquez might have been able to get away with just a warning if he had stopped that evening.
