WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (ABC4) — Police arrested a man on the campus of Granger High School this afternoon after they said he was following two minors and asked them to get in his car.
Jonathan Martinez Calata, 21, faces two charges of possession of controlled substances, one charge of criminal trespassing on school property, one charge of possession of a dangerous weapon on school property, and four charges of unlawful possession of a financial card. He may later face additional charges of attempted kidnapping and impersonating an officer.
According to the probable cause document, Calata allegedly followed two girls, telling one of them that her father had asked Calata to pick her up. Calata also allegedly told the girls they had previously been talking to him via Instagram direct messages and said “they knew each other.” The two girls fled back into the school for safety as Calata filmed their retreat. Police were later able to watch the video on Calata’s phone.
As police searched Calata’s backpack, they found brass knuckles and a THC vape. Like all schools, Granger High is a drug-free zone.
Calata was also in possession of four bank cards “bearing the names of individuals he was unable to provide information on.” At least one card has since been tied to a Salt Lake City Police case dating back to 2022, according to the probable cause statement.
Following Calata’s arrest, police also found a fake police badge and ID with the name “Jonathan” on it, “leading detectives to believe that posing as law enforcement is a current tactic of Calata to entice minors to accompany him to unknown locations.”
