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SLCPD Officers Arrest Two Following Alleged Aggravated Robbery in Ballpark Neighborhood

SALT LAKE CITY — Today, officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department’s Liberty Patrol Division safely arrested two people who are accused of committing an aggravated robbery at a convenience store in the Ballpark neighborhood.

This investigation started a 12 a.m. on Sunday, December 22, 2024, when a community member called 9-1-1 to report someone with a gun at 1470 South State Street.

SLC911 operators could hear yelling in the background.

Based on the preliminary investigation, 19-year-old Jimmy Gallegos entered the store with his girlfriend and started looking at merchandise.

Gallegos’ girlfriend, later identified as 18-year-old Odalys Garcia, left the store and is accused of moving her car in a way that would help Gallegos make a quick escape.

When a store employee told Gallegos he needed to pay for the merchandise he picked up and put on, Gallegos is accused of pulling out a handgun and trying to leave the store without paying.

The employee wrestled with Gallegos, safely disarming him.

After seeing the struggle from outside, Garcia is accused of going back inside the store and using pepper spray to help Gallegos get away.

As Garcia and Gallegos made it to their getaway car, SLCPD officers arrived on scene and stopped them.

Officers booked Gallegos into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges of aggravated robbery, using a concealed weapon in the commission of a violent felony, failure to disclose an identity, and being a minor in consumption of alcohol.

Officers booked Garcia into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges of aggravated robbery, being a minor in consumption of alcohol, unlawful possession of marijuana/spice, and not having a valid driver’s license.

Overall crime in the Ballpark neighborhood is down 14% in 2024 when compared to the same time in 2023.

The area where this alleged aggravated robbery occurred is part of the SLCPD’s stratified policing model, which is a structured approach that helps the SLCPD allocate its limited resources effectively by addressing problems at different levels.

Using the stratified policing model, the SLCPD organizes issues into layers, such as daily calls for service, repeat crime patterns, and long-term community concerns. This helps to ensure each layer is handled appropriately.

Two photos from the scene are being released. Media may use these photos with credit to the Salt Lake City Police Department.

Charges are only allegations, and every arrested person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Salt Lake City Police Department is not the custodian of record for jail booking photos. Utah Code 17-22-30 mostly prohibits the release of jail booking photos. Generally, a jail booking photo can only be released by the custodian of record after a conviction or when law enforcement determines the person is a fugitive or an imminent threat to a person or public safety. In Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office is the custodian of record for jail booking photos.

The information contained in this news release is based on a preliminary review of the details available to the Salt Lake City Police Department. As the investigation progresses, information may change.

Photo: Salt Lake City Police officers investigate an aggravated robbery at 1470 South State Street in the Ballpark neighborhood, which resulted in the arrest of two people (SLCPD photo – December 21, 2024.)

Photo: Salt Lake City Police officers investigate an aggravated robbery at 1470 South State Street in the Ballpark neighborhood, which resulted in the arrest of two people (SLCPD photo – December 21, 2024.)

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