What started as a routine afternoon at a Midvale used-car lot turned into a full-blown roadside drama when, police say, a 31-year-old woman tried to drive off in a running work van while holding what looked like a rifle. Bystanders wrestled her to the ground and held her there until officers arrived. Two juveniles were with her throughout the ordeal, which investigators say also involved wrong-way driving on I-215 and a brief stop on active TRAX tracks. Unified Police report she was booked on multiple felony counts after allegedly slipping one handcuff and attempting to smash out a patrol-car window.
The confrontation kicked off around 4:38 p.m. Wednesday near the Fiuza Auto Center on State Street. According to court documents, Kalo Pofaiva Fifita, 31, walked up to two people working on a vehicle, demanded a ride, then climbed into an unlocked van that was idling with the keys in the ignition. As FOX13 reports, witnesses said she shouted, "I need this car" while trying to throw the van into reverse, prompting a worker to pull her out. At that point, they say she grabbed what appeared to be a rifle, which officers later determined was a BB gun.
How the chase unfolded
According to court documents cited by local outlets, Fifita then headed for the freeway and drove the wrong way on I-215 before making a U-turn near 9000 South. The affidavit states she briefly entered a home in Sandy, where she allegedly tore a window screen and grabbed a child before leaving. Investigators say she later pulled onto TRAX tracks while the crossing arms were down and accelerated out of the train’s path only a few hundred feet before impact. As reported by KSL, both witnesses and officers described the chain of events as chaotic and especially dangerous for the children involved.
Charges and custody
Unified Police ultimately arrested Fifita and booked her into the Salt Lake County Jail. Court documents list potential charges that include attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, endangerment of a child or vulnerable adult, and escape. Officers say that while she was in custody, she managed to slip her right hand out of a handcuff and tried to break a patrol-car window before being restrained again and taken in for booking, according to FOX13.
What the law says
Under Utah law, aggravated robbery is a first-degree felony. It can include using or threatening a dangerous weapon or taking an operable motor vehicle, as defined in the state code. A separate statute, Section 76-5-112.5, covers endangerment of a child or vulnerable adult and adds its own penalties when kids are put at risk. Those who want to dig into the fine print can find the full language in Utah’s criminal code.
Rail safety and the wider risk
People at the car lot did more than just watch, physically holding the suspect until officers could get there. The fact that children were present during wrong-way freeway driving and a stop on live light-rail tracks highlighted how quickly an already tense situation can veer into life-threatening territory. The Utah Transit Authority’s safety guidelines urge drivers never to go around lowered gates or stop on tracks and stress that flashing lights mean a crossing is unsafe. UTA also asks riders and residents to report safety issues to authorities in an effort to head off dangerous encounters on TRAX lines.
