SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – A woman accused of several robberies over the week-end should have been in jail.
An arrest warrant was issued last month for 23-year old Sumi-Ko Wiley. But she was never arrested until Saturday.
Wiley and Malik Benson were arrested after a Swat team tore down the door to a motel where the two suspects were hiding out.
They are accused of committing five robberies in 18-hours starting Friday night.
One of those fast food restaurants was the Crown Burger in Salt Lake City
“I didn't want to get into a shootout situation because there were a lot of innocent people around,” said owner Michael M. Katsanevas. “I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Thank God it diffused itself.
ABC4 News took action after learning Wiley's been in trouble before.
In 2008, Wiley was charged with ten felonies for burglarizing her neighborhood.
After reviewing her records, ABC4 News learned a judge ordered her to jail for 30-days last month because she didn’t go to drug treatment.
One of her victims in 2008 was Carrie Coppola whose home was burglarized.
"I feel sad about it,” said Coppola. "There's something missing in our system of care, some disconnect when they get into the court system and working their way into treatment and it's not working.
As part of her sentence, Wiley was supposed to pay her victims back.
One of those is Michael N. Katsanevas.
But he too feels sympathy for Wiley.
“It's real disappointing,” he said. “She's an articulate speaker. She's intelligent, pleasant looking just a nice person. It's really sad because it's obvious the drugs took hold of her.”
Ironically, his cousin owns the restaurant that was targeted Saturday.
Now the Katsanevas family has become a victim of Wiley again.
But after he looked at the barrel of a gun this Katsanevas is angry.
“It might not have happened had she been locked up like she should,” said Michael M. Katsanevas. “Our criminal justice system is failing us.”
Salt Lake District Attorney Sim Gill said he wasn’t in office when Wiley received no jail time for the ten felonies. Instead she was diverted to drug court.
“That’s a judgment call (by the previous district attorney),” said Gill.
In regards to the outstanding warrant, Gill said they don’t have the manpower to go after minor offenders.
