Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PLEASANT VIEW, Weber County — A South Salt Lake man suspected of groping a woman at a TRAX station on Wednesday was arrested Friday after he was pulled over driving a stolen UTA rideshare van, according to a jail report.
Salih Ismail Khatir, 26, was booked into Salt Lake County Jail Friday on suspicion of theft of a vehicle, burglary of a vehicle, theft and sexual battery, jail records show.
The first incident happened at the Millcreek TRAX station, 210 W. 3300 South. Police received a report from a female, whose name and age weren’t released, that a man touched her buttocks as he walked by her on the station platform. "She turned around and followed him. She then demanded his ID where she took a photo on her phone and submitted it to police when she filed a report," UTA police wrote in an affidavit filed in 3rd District Court.
Two days later, Khatir was pulled over for speeding in a UTA rideshare van on I-15 near 2700 North in Pleasant View. Khatir told a trooper he had stolen the vehicle and a sergeant from UTA police was called to the scene, the affidavit continued.
The report stated Khatir told the UTA officer he had stolen the vehicle that was parked in a lot located at 6525 S. State in Murray and that he had taken a backpack and “other items” from another UTA van at the same location.
Police were also able to match the photo of the man in the groping case at the Millcreek Station and surveillance video footage to Khatir. He admitted to police that he grabbed the individual’s buttocks, and while he knew it was wrong, it was a practice he was accustomed to, the report continued.
“He smiled and stated something to the effect of if he (sees) a girl he was going to grab her butt,” police wrote in the affidavit.
Khatir’s arrest Friday was just the latest in a slew of odd police incidents reported against him in the past few weeks. Court records show he was charged in Midvale Justice Court on Saturday with theft of services, a class B misdemeanor, in relation to an incident last Tuesday.
He was also charged with criminal trespassing, a class B misdemeanor, in Murray Justice Court on June 27. Khatir was arrested at Intermountain Medical Center, 5121 S. Cottonwood Street, on June 25 after hospital security asked him to leave “multiple times” when he continuously showed up there despite not having any medical treatment needs, Murray police wrote in an affidavit filed in Murray Justice Court that day. He is set to be arraigned on Aug. 1 in that case, according to court records.
He was also cited for several infractions in three Salt Lake County cities since June 11.
