A West Valley City man who traded gunfire with police on Interstate 80 and lived to tell the tale is headed to prison for up to three decades after a plea deal that wiped away most of his original charges.
Ramon Rojas-Huerta, 45, was sentenced Thursday to between two and 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting police officers in a dramatic June 29, 2025, highway shootout. He survived being hit multiple times in a rolling gun battle that shut down I-80 for hours and ended with him in intensive care. Prosecutors say it all started with a dust-up over a tow in a North Temple parking lot and spiraled into a high-speed chase across the west side.
The sentence, two consecutive terms of one to 15 years, was handed down by 3rd District Judge Adam Mow after Rojas-Huerta admitted firing at officers. His attorney told the court he had been shot nine times during the exchange. As reported by KSL, defense attorney Hanna Sakalla said Rojas-Huerta "views this as a second chance at life" and that he received credit for time served on a separate DUI conviction.
How The Chase Unfolded
According to prosecutors, the chaos began when a tow operator tried to impound a van at a Burger King parking lot near Redwood Road and North Temple. As the tow truck pulled away, the driver of the van allegedly opened fire. The van then fled onto Bangerter Highway and eastbound Interstate 80, with officers attempting multiple PIT maneuvers before a patrol car finally stopped the vehicle, and five officers discharged their weapons.
Investigators say they recovered seven shell casings on Bangerter Highway and that two Salt Lake police vehicles were hit by gunfire during the chase. A press release from the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office said the freeway confrontation generated a wide array of felony allegations when charges were filed last summer.
Charges And Plea Deal
Prosecutors initially filed 25 counts, including several second-degree assault on a peace officer charges, along with multiple firearm and aggravated assault allegations. Most of those were later dropped as part of the plea agreement. As reported by KSL, Rojas-Huerta admitted to two counts of assault on a police officer and faces one to 15 years on each count, to be served consecutively. Court records show the deal also credited him for time already served on a misdemeanor DUI conviction.
Defense: Mental Health Crisis
Defense attorneys told the court that Rojas-Huerta was in the middle of a mental-health crisis and, in the confusion, believed the people chasing him were "cartel police," a detail included in the charging documents. Prosecutors say he fired rounds first toward the tow truck driver and then at pursuing officers, and that he claimed he was shooting to show he could defend himself.
The charging packet filed by the district attorney outlines those statements along with the physical evidence collected from the scene, according to the information posted by the Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office.
Use-Of-Force Review
Salt Lake City officials say the five officers who fired their weapons were placed on paid administrative leave while investigators comb through body camera footage and other evidence. FOX13 reported that police have already reviewed video and recovered shell casings as part of the ongoing probe.
The county prosecutor’s office oversees an Officer-Involved Critical Incident review process that, in previous cases, has concluded officers’ use of deadly force was legally justified, according to reporting by Deseret News.
Local outlets covered the case heavily when charges were first filed last summer, and for now, court records and statements from prosecutors remain the main public window into what happened on the freeway. The Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Office and Salt Lake City police say their reviews are still underway and that more records may be released once investigators wrap up their work.
