CLEARFIELD, Utah, July 26, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — Clearfield police are asking the public for help locating a woman wanted for questioning in a carjacking incident in which a dog in the vehicle was also taken.
The wanted woman is Melissa Rush, 31. The stolen dog — 7-year-old Reo, a Shih Tzu — has not yet been recovered, a statement from the Clearfield Police Department says.
The incident happened at 12:45 p.m. Sunday at the Clearfield Maverik station at 709 S. State St. A 74-year-old woman reported that she was in the Maverick, and Reo was in her car, a Lexus RX350.
The woman told police that when she walked out of the convenience store, a woman took her car keys, “and when the victim tried to prevent the suspect from leaving in the car, the suspect struck the victim with a portion of the car, causing minor injuries.”
The woman, who was unknown to the victim, then fled in the vehicle. Salt Lake City police later found the occupied vehicle, a Clearfield City news release says, but the driver fled from police. The Lexus was later found abandoned, without the missing dog inside.
The Clearfield police statement says Rush is approximately 5 feet tall, and weighs about 140 pounds. She has red hair.
Anyone who sees Rush or has information on her whereabouts since Sunday is asked to call police at 801-525-2806 and reference case C23-07904.