SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, May 31, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department is reminding car owners to lessen the chance of car theft after it recovered a stolen vehicle that was dirty, filled with drugs, and sporting new damage after rolling into a police car.
The stolen car was found Monday near 1900 W. North Temple.
“When officers approached the driver, he refused to fully cooperate and attempted to reach the gear shifter and put the station wagon into drive,” the Salt Lake City Police statement says.
“Officers quickly turned the car off, but the suspect again turned the car back on and attempted to put it in drive. The suspect managed to get the car into neutral, which caused the stolen car to roll into a marked police car.”
Officers eventually took the suspect into custody, the statement says. Officers booked the 30-year-old suspect into the Salt Lake County Metro Jail on charges of theft by receiving stolen property, failure to stop at the command of a police officer, interfering with an arresting officer, use or possession of drug paraphernalia, false evidence of a vehicle title and registration, giving false information to a police officer, and having an open container in a vehicle.
Car interior
Inside the car, officers found open containers of alcohol and drug paraphernalia. They also located a vehicle license plate that had been partially cut up and overlaid and glued on top of another license plate to give the appearance of being a completely different plate, the SLCPD statement says.
“Officers found the stolen station wagon’s interior to be heavily damaged and dirty. The registered owner of the car responded and took custody of the car.”
The department said car thefts in Salt Lake City are down, but community members can take the following actions to decrease chances of vehicle theft and assist in recovery:
- Never leave your car running and unattended
- Close and lock all doors and windows when leaving your car
- Use a steering wheel lock
- Leave your car “showroom” clean. Valuables and items indicating valuables, such as cell phone and GPS chargers, should never be left in a car
- Park in areas that are well-lit and have working video security cameras
- If able, invest in a vehicle immobilization system and vehicle recovery system
- Take clear photos of your vehicle, VIN and license plate
- Immediately report your vehicle stolen by calling 9-1-1 if you witnessed it being stolen or 801-799-3000 if it happened outside your presence or there was a time delay.
