PAWNEE COUNTY, Neb. — A man who had a warrant out for his arrest in Cache County since December 2021 was found over the weekend in Nebraska.
The Pawnee County Sheriff's Office said they responded to a car crash that was initially reported as double-fatal. However, officers arrived at the area near Ironhorse Lake and found that the two men lying in the middle of the road in front of a crashed vehicle were alive. They were both taken to a hospital and treated for "excessive alcohol and drug consumption."
One of the men was identified as 41-year-old Ronald Daniel Nalepa, who had an active warrant issued by the First District Court of Utah on Dec. 16, 2021.
According to court documents, Nalepa pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, driving under the influence and failing to stop at the command of police. These charges stemmed from an incident in August 2020 when he stabbed someone during an argument while camping in Millville Canyon. He then fled from police in a pickup truck to Logan, where he was taken into custody.
After pleading guilty, Nalepa was sentenced in November 2021 to 280 days in jail, but with credit for 272 days already served. He was also sentenced to 36 months of probation, which included being released to The Other Side Academy.
Court documents state that he violated his probation, but it was not clear exactly how.
Law enforcement in Nebraska said Nalepa was "combative" with medical staff while being transported and at the hospital. He was taken to Omaha after being treated and cleared, and he is awaiting extradition to Utah.
According to the Pawnee County Sheriff's Office, Nalepa told law enforcement that he "really likes the Pawnee County area, and plans to move here once his prison term is up in Utah." He said he went there to stay with friends in order to avoid police.
The sheriff's office in Nebraska also said Nalepa was convicted of additional prior stabbings in Utah, as well as in Nevada, California and Oregon.
