3 suspects on the run after West Valley City carjacking; 16-year-old victim escapes from moving vehicle


WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, Oct. 11, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — Police are on the lookout for three carjacking suspects who gave officers the slip after a dramatic chase in West Valley City late Thursday night.

According to WVCPD Sgt. Dennis Martinez, the incident began about 11:04 p.m. when the masked suspects commandeered a car near 3600 S. Queen’s Pointe Lane 1300 West.

Forty-five minutes later, the vehicle was spotted 15 blocks away near 4800 South 800 West and officers gave chase.

Martinez said about one minute into the pursuit, a 16-year-old boy, believed to be a carjacking victim, jumped or was pushed from the moving vehicle moments after police spiked the cars’ tires.

The car continued a short distance before crashing into a wall near a driveway at the end of a dead end street.

The three suspects sprang from the vehicle and bounded into the surrounding neighborhood.

Officers from Unified PD, Salt Lake City and Herriman,  set up a large perimeter and called in K-9 units to aid the search for the suspects.

A UHP helicopter joined the search from the air.

Martinez said police turned up two rifles and a hand gun inside the car. A second pistol was found in a nearby backyard.

West Valley City police investigate a late night carjacking Thursday Oct 11 2019 Photo Gephardt DailyMonico GarzaSLCScanner

The 16-year-old victim, who escaped from the moving car, was taken by ambulance to Intermountain Medical Center in Murray with non-life threatening injuries.

Investigators say they are exploring the possibility he knew his attackers.

Police called off search efforts about 1:30 a.m.

Gephardt Daily will update the story as more information becomes available.

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