By Jason Bergreen
The Salt Lake Tribune
SWEETWATER COUNTY, Wyo. — Convicted murderer and escapee Danny Martin Gallegos remained hospitalized in critical condition at University Hospital on Monday.
Meanwhile, Juan Carlos Diaz-Arevalo, 27, who escaped from the Daggett County jail last week with Gallegos, was still being held in the Sweetwater County jail in Wyoming. He was expected to appear before a judge sometime this week for an extradition hearing, said Sweetwater Sheriff’s Office detective Dick Blust.
A Sweetwater deputy shot 49-year-old Gallegos on Saturday and captured Diaz-Arevalo after the pair stole a Ford Explorer and led police on a chase that ended near Green River, Wyo.
The inmates escaped from the Daggett jail Sept. 25.
During their time on the run, they stole a number of provisions from a hunting camp in Daggett County, police said. A sleeping bag, tent, fanny pack, light camouflage jacket, canteen and five bottles of sports drink — taken from a hunting camp set up weeks ago about 10 miles south of Manila by Utahn Ray Johnson — were found in the 1998 Explorer.
The gear was discovered to be taken on Thursday and reported to police on Friday.
The men were caught when Diaz-Arevalo stopped the Explorer — with tires blown out from a spike strip — on the side of Interstate 80 between Green River and Evanston.
Both men then exited holding guns, Diaz-Arevalo with a .38-caliber revolver and Gallegos with a .22-caliber rifle, said Deputy Michael Wingert of the U.S. Marshals Service in Utah.
Gallegos swung around as if he were going to shoot at officers, police said, and a Sweetwater County sheriff’s deputy fired off a single round from a .308-caliber rifle. The bullet entered Gallegos’ back and exited his stomach, Wingert said.
After the shot, Diaz-Arevalo ran, police said. He dropped the handgun and made it about 100 yards before officers tackled him. The officers didn’t fire on Diaz-Arevalo because of houses nearby that might have been hit.
Utah authorities filed federal fugitive charges on Sept. 25 against both men.
Copyright 2007 Salt Lake Tribune