SALT LAKE CITY – Jason Valdez is no stranger to Utah police. His latest brush with the law, however, may have been the most public.
An armed Valdez, 36, held a woman hostage at a motel in a tense 16-hour, overnight standoff with SWAT teams, all while finding time to keep his family and friends updated on Facebook, authorities said.
He even got some help from the outside over the social network: A friend posted that a SWAT officer was hiding in the bushes.
“Thank you homie,” Valdez replied. “Good looking out.”
When officers swarmed the room, Valdez shot himself in the chest with a handgun, Ogden police said. On Tuesday, he was in critical condition.
The Associated Press reviewed Valdez’s Facebook profile page on Tuesday. Police believe he wrote the messages during the standoff.
It wasn’t immediately clear, however, whether police were following the posts in real-time, though the department spokeswoman said officers routinely search the Internet and other sources for background on suspects.
In all, Valdez made six posts and added at least a dozen new friends.
His family and friends responded with 100 comments. Some people offered words of support, and others pleaded for him to “do the right thing.”
Court records show Valdez has a
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