OGDEN -- Proceedings against an Ogden man who posted Facebook updates about his standoff with SWAT officers ground to a halt after his alleged hostage pleaded guilty to drug charges.
In the 16-hour standoff that began June 18, Veronica Jensen appeared on Facebook with her would-be captor, Jason Valdez.
Valdez shot himself in the chest after firing at officers who stormed his motel room in the Western Colony Inn to end the ordeal.
Jensen was unharmed.
Charged with attempted aggravated murder of a police officer and aggravated kidnapping after he was healed enough to jail, Valdez, now in a wheelchair, was in 2nd District Court on Friday for a preliminary hearing on the incident.
But it was canceled when officials realized his public defender, Sean Young, was also Jensen's public defender. Because of the potential conflict of interest, Judge Ernie Jones shuffled public defenders, assigning Randall Marshall to represent Valdez.
Jensen two days earlier had pleaded guilty to a felony drug possession charge stemming from her May arrest, her first offense, according to court records.
She had been diverted to 2nd District Drug Court on the May bust, but had missed so many of her court dates for drug court, she still hadn't begun that process.
Police said Jensen was also found in possession of methamphetamine after she was released from the June 18 hostage situation with Valdez.
She was never charged for the meth, but faced sanctions in drug court. But she kept skipping court dates there to the point that she was jailed when she finally did attend drug court Aug. 16, court records show.
She has been jailed since then in lieu of $22,500 bail and faces sentencing next month.
During the overnight hostage situation, Valdez posted on his Facebook page pictures of himself with a seemingly cooperative Jensen as he taunted officers.
The SWAT confrontation at the motel went viral on the Internet as Valdez kept up a running commentary with friends and relatives on Facebook.
At one point, comments, mostly critical, to his Facebook page numbered more than 27,000 after he was hospitalized.
Valdez's preliminary hearing has been rescheduled for Sept. 26 before Jones to allow Marshall time to research the case.
The hearing is meant to determine if the minimal standard of evidence has been met to advance the case to trial.
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